Ad description
A paid-for Pinterest ad for Reformed Collagen Matcha, seen on 9 May 2025, featured an image of a bottle of the product. Text above the image stated, “hot girls drink matcha”. Text underneath the image stated, “skip breakfast 10g protein 0.1g sugar”.
Issue
Three complainants, who believed the ad encouraged young women to replace their breakfast with the drink in order to look more physically attractive, challenged whether it was irresponsible.
Response
Reform Technologies t/a Reformed said they had removed the ad following notification of the ASA’s investigation. Pinterest said they had reviewed the content of the ad against their policies and had concluded it was suitable for publication.
Assessment
Upheld
The ad, which was for a matcha drink, included the words “hot girls drink matcha” along with the words “skip breakfast” and stated the amount of protein and sugar in the drink. The ASA understood that the drink contained 51 calories.
Whilst we acknowledged that the term “hot girls drink matcha” was a broader internet theme associating matcha drinks with a healthy and active lifestyle, we considered that “hot” could also be understood to mean physically attractive or good-looking. We considered that the ad suggested that a young woman could become more attractive by replacing her usual breakfast with the drink, which was significantly lower in calories than a standard breakfast. We also understood that NHS guidance suggested a daily calorie intake for women should be around 2,000 calories and cautioned against skipping breakfast or meals generally.
We acknowledged that Reformed had removed the ad. However, at the time the ad appeared we considered that by encouraging girls and young women to skip breakfast in favour of a low-calorie drink in order to become more physically attractive, the ad had perpetuated irresponsible dietary habits. We therefore concluded it was irresponsible and breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.3 (Social responsibility).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form complained of. We told Reform Technologies Ltd t/a Reformed to ensure their future advertising was prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society and in particular, not to perpetuate or encourage irresponsible dietary habits.
