Katy Perry skincare ad banned
Acne skincare brand Proactiv, which uses celebrities including Katy Perry and Justin Bieber in its marketing, has had an ad campaign banned by the advertising watchdog for making misleading claims.
The ad attracted a compliant that the testimonials from American celebrities were misleading because the UK version of the product does not contain the same active ingredients as the US product.
In a TV ad, pop star Katy Perry said: “I really love the refining mask, I use that at night. I’m not polite, I’m Proactiv.”
A number of other celebrities such as Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mandy Moore also endorsed the product on the brand’s website.
Guthy-Renker UK, which manufactures the Proactive range, says that it sent UK formulations to all the celebrities involved and has “detailed documentary evidence” that the celebrities provided descriptions of their own experience of the using the products so that all endorsements were factually and accurate and representative of their own personal opinions.
The ASA ruled that because the celebrities only claimed to have used the UK product for a matter of weeks, but that the ads referred to ongoing use, the claims were unsubstantiated.
The brand uses Made in Chelsea star Gabriella Ellis to advertise in the UK.
