Ad description

A brochure and website, www.insulation-actis.com, for ACTIS Insulation Ltd which provided information about the company's insulation products:

a.  The brochure, under the heading "HCONTROL HYBRID PROPERTIES" included the technical specifications for the product. Text stated "Thickness ... 45mm ... DECLARED THERMAL PERFORMANCE ... R value of material ... 1,90m2.K/W".  

Under the heading "BOOST'R HYBRID PROPERTIES" the technical specifications stated "Thickness ... 35mm ... DECLARED THERMAL PERFORMANCE (OUTER/INNER SIDE) ...  R value of material ... 1,35 m2.K/W".

b.  The web page for the HControl Hybrid product stated "Achieves a declared core R-value of 1.90 m2.K/W".  The web page for the Boost'r Hybrid product stated "Achieves a declared core R-value of 1.35 m2.K/W".

Issue

Web Dynamics Ltd, who believed the methods of testing exaggerated the performance of the products, challenged whether the claims were misleading and could be substantiated.  

Response

ACTIS Insulation Ltd said they did not consider their advertising to be in breach of the CAP Code because their products had been tested according to objective and approved EU standards, and the thermal performance claims in their ads reflected the results of those tests.  ACTIS Insulation submitted various test documents for both products from an accredited European test body and an academic institution. They said their ads quoted the contents of the certificates and the results were not exaggerated.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA sought expert advice.  We acknowledged the various tests and certificates supplied by ACTIS Insulation and that the testing certificates came from a certified approval body.  We understood that the products were tested under the relevant standard, BS EN 16012:2012 (the Standard), which was used to determine the thermal properties for each product.

We noted that a test certificate had correctly measured the thermal resistance and had used the measured values in calculating the declared thermal resistance of the insulation systems as well as the core thermal resistance of the two products.  We therefore concluded that the declared thermal performance had been substantiated.

The Standard specified three test methods, A, B and C, for the determination of thermal resistance and appropriate test methods were specified depending on the product type.  Due to the nature of the two products in question, it was appropriate to use method C which we understood was the test used by ACTIS Insulation and was reflected by the test certificates.

We noted that the certificates and tests confirmed that the declared performance figures had therefore been quoted accurately by ACTIS Insulation in their ads. Because the products had been independently tested and the performance figures had been verified, we concluded the claims were not exaggerated and had been substantiated.

We investigated ads (a) and (b) under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules  3.1 3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.  (Misleading advertising),  3.7 3.7 Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.  (Substantiation) and  3.11 3.11 Marketing communications must not mislead consumers by exaggerating the capability or performance of a product.  (Exaggeration), but did not find them in breach.

Action

No further action necessary.

CAP Code (Edition 12)

3.1     3.11     3.7    


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