Nike, Superdry and Lacoste face ad ban in UK over 'misleading' sustainability claims

Highlights

• Three major fashion retailers used terms like 'sustainable' without providing evidence.
• ASA rules environmental claims must be clear and supported by high level of substantiation.
• Brands told to ensure future environmental claims are backed by proof.

The watchdog found that paid-for Google advertisements run by all three retailers used terms such as "sustainable", "sustainable materials" and "sustainable style" without providing evidence to support their green claims.

Nike's advertisement, promoting tennis polo shirts, referred to "sustainable materials". The sportswear giant argued the promotion was "framed in general terms" and that consumers would understand it as referring to some, but not all, products offered.

Superdry urged shoppers to "unlock a wardrobe that combines style and sustainability". The fashion retailer said the advertisement aimed to highlight that it manufactured, sourced and sold a wide range of products with "sustainability attributes and credentials".

Lacoste, promoting sustainable children's clothing, stated it had been working for several years to reduce the carbon footprint of all its products. However, the French brand admitted that claims such as "green", "sustainable" and "eco-friendly" were "very difficult to substantiate".

Advertising watchdog rulings

The ASA said the UK code of advertising states that environmental claims must be clear and "supported by a high level of substantiation". It ruled that in each case, the retailers' use of the phrase "sustainable" was ambiguous and unclear because it lacked additional information.

"The claim was absolute and therefore a high level of substantiation in support needed to be produced," the watchdog said. "We had not seen evidence to support it. We therefore concluded the ad was likely to mislead."

The ASA also noted a lack of evidence showing the products were not detrimental to the environment when their whole life cycle was considered.

The watchdog banned each advertisement and instructed the retailers to "ensure that the basis of future environmental claims, and their meaning, was made clear, and that a high level of substantiation must be held to support absolute claims".

Separately, the ASA also banned an advertisement for gambling firm Betway featuring Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, ruling it was likely to appeal to under-18s, breaching UK advertising regulations