The Advertising Standards Authority made the decision
The adverts were found to not meet standards(Image: Олег Буянов via Getty Images)
An update has been issued by an authority in relation to weight loss injections. Adverts for an online pharmacy have been prohibited for marketing prescription-only weight-loss medication to the public and exploiting new mothers’ body image insecurities.
The Instagram and Facebook advertisements for Juniper also generated an inappropriate sense of urgency for those contemplating medicated weight-loss programmes, while posts in weight-loss support groups on Facebook failed to clearly indicate they were sponsored by the advertiser, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled.
In one of the Facebook adverts, seen in October, a caption read: “I probably needed a hug, but I decided to start a medicated weightloss (sic) journey with Juniper instead and I really didn’t expect it to bring so much more than progress on the scales. For me it’s about my confidence returning, the energy I thought I’d lost and a reminder that showing up for myself was always worth it.”
A video displayed various clips of a woman caring for her baby, walking with a pram, posing for a photograph and standing in a locker room holding a protein shake bottle. The ASA questioned whether the advert suggested new mothers should prioritise weight loss after giving birth, which exploited their body image insecurities and was therefore irresponsible, and promoted prescription-only medicines to the public.
Ads for an online pharmacy have been banned for promoting prescription-only weight-loss medication to the public and exploiting new mothers’ insecurities about body image(Image: James Manning/PA Wire )
Juniper stated it disputed that the advert encouraged new mothers to prioritise weight loss, claiming its intended message was that mothers could “seek a balance that felt right for them”. The ASA ruled that the advert exploited new mothers’ insecurities and reinforced pressure on them to conform to body image stereotypes, saying: “For those reasons, we concluded the ad was irresponsible, as it included a harmful gender stereotype and therefore breached the code.”
The watchdog investigated two Instagram adverts for Juniper featuring Black Friday promotions, spotted in November and December, which included the text: “Run, don’t walk. Save £179 over 6 months… now that’s a Black Friday sale.”
The ASA ordered Juniper to refrain from promoting prescription-only medicines to the public going forward and to ensure future advertising did not create an undue sense of urgency for consumers considering medicated weight-loss programmes.
The regulator also examined a comment and posts in weight-loss support groups on Facebook, spotted in September, which read: “Juniper’s lower wegovy price is a solid deal tbh 25% cheaper than mounjaro. weight loss results like mounjaro, worth checking while it lasts”, and “First-time Juniper customer here – ordered Saturday, delivery came today! I can share my code for £85 off if anyone’s interested. I’ll also get £85 off my next order, so it’s a nice bonus for both of us!”
The ads were found to cross the line(Image: Alamy/PA)
CheqUp Health, which believed the posts and comment had been paid for by Juniper, questioned whether they were clearly identifiable as adverts and challenged whether they breached advertising regulations by promoting prescription-only medicines to the public. The ASA subsequently banned the ads.
CheqUp founder Toby Nicol said: “Today’s ruling highlights the need for greater clarity across the weight loss medication market. When non-compliant advertising continues to appear so visibly on fast-moving digital channels, it creates confusion for consumers and gives the impression that some practices may be permissible when they are not.
“While the rules may appear established on paper, the reality is that the current framework is still not providing enough clarity or consistent enough enforcement for a category that has evolved rapidly in recent years. That creates an uneven environment where responsible providers can be penalised while others are able to push at the boundaries.”