ASA Adjudication on Easylife Group Ltd

Ad

A catalogue, inserted in the national press, advertised Magnetic Posture Support. It stated "Help improve your posture. Do you often get back or neck pain? The Magnetic Posture Support helps ease pain and correct poor posture. As it gently pulls back the shoulders, the neck and head are straightened while aligning the spine, helping you to look and walk taller ...".

Issue

1. The complainant challenged whether the claim "Help improve your posture" was misleading and could be substantiated.

2. The ASA challenged whether the product could help ease pain, as claimed.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

1. & 2. Easylife said they had advertised the product for some time without complaint.  They did not however have documentary evidence to support the advertised claims.  

Assessment

1. Upheld

The ASA noted no evidence had been forthcoming to support the claim that the Magnetic Posture Support could "Help improve your posture".  In the absence of evidence, we concluded that the claim was misleading.  

On this point, the ad breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

2. Upheld

We considered that, in order to substantiate that the product could help relieve pain, Easylife needed to produce evidence in the form of robust, peer-reviewed clinical trials.  Because we had not seen such evidence, we concluded that the claim was misleading.

On this point, the ad breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 7.1 (Truthfulness) and 50.1 (Health and beauty products and therapies - general).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)