Ad description

A national press ad for Power Jump, was headed "Jump start in minutes, without getting out of your car". Text beside a photograph of the product stated "Get your car started in 10 to 15 minutes". Further text stated "This emergency car battery jump starter will provide the power surge you need ... With 30 volts of power, you'll have your petrol or diesel car started in a jiffy, about 10 to 15 minutes".

Issue

The complainant challenged whether the claim that the product could jump start a car was misleading and could be substantiated.

Response

Easylife Group Ltd submitted a test report, which they believed substantiated the claims that the advertised product could jump start a car.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted the ad made clear that the advertised product could jump start a car within a period of 10 to 15 minutes. We considered that in order to substantiate that claim, we would need to see evidence that demonstrated the product achieved that performance in a representative sample of vehicles.

We understood the test report referred to by Easylife Group involved a car's battery being discharged and then recharged using the advertised product. The charge in the battery was then recorded. However, we noted the test did not assess the efficacy of the advertised product in a vehicle. We therefore considered that the test was not sufficient to demonstrate that the product could jump start a car in 10 to 15 minutes. On that basis, we concluded that the claims had not been substantiated and therefore breached the Code.

The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules  3.1 3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.  (Misleading advertising) and  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).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Easylife Group Ltd to ensure they hold robust substantiation to support claims in future.

CAP Code (Edition 12)

3.1     3.7    


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