An advertising watchdog upheld a complaint against a Cork influencer after she promoted a supplement while pregnant without making clear that the product was not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Julie Haynes, who goes by @twins_and_me_ on Instagram(Image: instagram.com/twins_and_me_)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against a Cork influencer who promoted a product that was unsuitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women shortly after publicly announcing her own pregnancy.
The complaint relates to an advert posted on the account of influencer Julie Haynes, who goes by @twins_and_me_ on Instagram, with a following of over 230,000.
The advert was for a Spacegoods product called ‘rainbow dust,’ which is described as a ‘mushroom and adaptogens super blend.’ The advert showed Ms Haynes mixing the product into a glass of water.
A complaint about the ad was submitted to the ASA, voicing concerns that the product’s unsuitability for pregnant and breastfeeding women was not made clear in the advert. The complainant feared that any of the influencers’ followers who were pregnant or breastfeeding could mistakenly believe that the product was safe to consume.
In her response to the ASA, Ms Haynes said that her doctor had advised her that the product was safe to consume. Following the complaint, Spacegoods requested that the influencer remove the advert, and the company added further content to its website about the product’s suitability for women.
Upon review of the submission and responses, the ASA upheld the complaint, noting that the advert could encourage ‘unsafe practices’ and was therefore in violation of advertising codes.
Julie Haynes poses for a photo(Image: instagram.com/twins_and_me_)
The decision was one of many released by the ASA earlier this week, which ranged from violations of the rules surrounding the promotion of Botox to in-store marketing materials from major retailers.
In one case, a customer of Electric Ireland lodged a complaint after he was offered a discounted rate when his contract ended, only to find that it was higher than his previous rate.
The customer felt the marketing email was misleading, but Electric Ireland denied this, explaining that once customers completed their 12-month contract, they were transitioned from a discounted promotional to their standard pricing plan.
Electric Ireland stated that the discount was not misleading, as they believed all relevant details were clearly outlined in the terms and conditions.
However, the ASA found that the email gave the impression that the discount applied to the complainant’s current rate, rather than the rate in the new contract. The complaint was upheld, with the ASA ruling that the advert must not reappear in its current form.
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