ASA bans Lemsip ‘hostess’ ad

A Lemsip television advertisement has been banned for showing an airline stewardess taking the product, because it contains a substance that flight cabin crew are banned from consuming under Civil Aviation Authority rules.

The ad, created by Cheetham Bell JWT, features the hostess taking a 12-hour congestion and sinus remedy on a long-haul flight. However, the product contains pseudo-ephedrine hydrochloride, which is prohibited because of its possible side effects.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says that the ad could “encourage or condone behaviour prejudicial to health and safety” and has ruled that it should not be shown again.

vThe ASA has upheld a complaint by Procter & Gamble against rival L’Oréal’s press ads for its colouring product Garnier Belle. The ad claims that Garnier Belle Color has been “voted best in the UK” and is “the UK’s best natural looking colour”.

The watchdog has ruled that the survey from which the claims are based is not independent and also that the sample is not broad enough to make the claim. The ASA has asked the advertiser not to re-use the claim on the basis of the survey of 150 women.

vThe ASA has also upheld a complaint against a poster ad for Kerry Foods Low Low Gold, which uses the tagline “Utter Pleasure” with a crossed out B in front of the word Utter, implying that the product is butter. The ASA says that the ad is misleading because the product is not butter and has asked Kerry Foods to amend the ad with help from the CAP Copy Advice team.