ASA slams team Jordan’s EJ-10 drink after complaints by Lucozade manufacturer GSK

Formula One team Jordan has been scolded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for making false claims about the effects of its energy drink, EJ-10.

The ASA ruled that Jordan was wrong to claim, in an ad featured in Sainsbury’s Magazine, that the drink can heighten concentration, improve memory and enhance driving performance.

The ad was created in house, in conjunction with Sainsbury’s Magazine, to promote a competition in which consumers could win a Honda car.

A complaint was made by GlaxoSmithKline, maker of rival drink Lucozade, which claimed Jordan had no scientific evidence to back up the claim.

Jordan provided ASA with a letter from a university professor, who said the drink’s component ingredients could improve performance.

However, the ASA said the company had failed to produce a product-specific study and could not repeat the claims until research into the drink’s effects was done.

Jordan launched the drink in November 2000. It is targeted at 18to 35-year-old males, and is designed to provide a “more subtle” energy boost than Red Bull and Red Devil.

Tesco has been reprimanded by ASA for claiming that its DVDs and videos are cheaper than Amazon.co.uk’s. Amazon claimed a national press ad failed to distinguish between Tesco’s online and in-store prices. The claim was supported by the ASA.