Special K Sustain ad falls foul of regulator

A TV ad for Kellogg’s Special K Sustain promoting it as a brand with “extra protein and fibre” has been banned by the advertising regulator for being misleading because it contains less protein than Special K original.

The ad, created by JWT, shows a woman at a meeting who loses her concentration as she imagines a pie-chart turning into an actual pie. A voiceover says: “If you’ve got only one thing on your mind before lunch, you should try new Special K Sustain. Delicious new Special K Sustain contains extra protein and fibre. See if it can keep you satisfied for longer.”

Three viewers challenged whether the claim “contains extra protein and fibre” was misleading because the product contained less protein than Special K original, with which they believed it was being compared.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) up-held complaints against the ad because the basis of the comparison made in the ad was unclear.

The ASA has also upheld complaints from Lastminute.com against Ryanair press ads that used the strapline: “Robbed by Lastminute.com?” with a cartoon of a burglar. Lastminute complained that the headline was misleading and the cartoon robber “denigrated and discredited” its business. The ad also says that Lastminute overcharges its customers “by 100% or more” and that it does not “notify schedule changes.”

The ASA ruled that the Ryanair ads cannot reappear in their current form.