ASA approves Rimmel ad claim supported by ‘20 out of 99 women’

Published: 17-Jun-2009

The Advertising Standards Authority says that it has not upheld complaints about a TV advert for Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Minerals Foundation in which a 12 hour wear claim is supported by text stating, “20 out of 99 women agreed”. The advert, which stars the supermodel Kate Moss, features a voice-over stating that the foundation “lasts for up to 12 hours”, which is backed-up by text at the bottom of the screen reading “12 hour wear”.


The Advertising Standards Authority says that it has not upheld complaints about a TV advert for Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Minerals Foundation in which a 12 hour wear claim is supported by text stating, “20 out of 99 women agreed”. The advert, which stars the supermodel Kate Moss, features a voice-over stating that the foundation “lasts for up to 12 hours”, which is backed-up by text at the bottom of the screen reading “12 hour wear”.

Three viewers complained that the claims were misleading, as a statement shown in smaller text in the top right corner of the screen, “20 out of 99 women agreed”, contradicted them.

The ASA, provided with details of the survey used to support the claim by Clearcast, reasoned that Coty UK Ltd (trading as Rimmel London) could use the claim “up to 12 hours” because 10% of the respondents to the survey agreed – Coty had based its claim on the same principle as an “up to” or “from” claim in a retail message, where around 10% of the products or services advertised should usually be at the “up to” or “from” price.

The authority also took into account other factors including the spread of results and the quality of data. According to the ASA, 27% of respondants thought that cover lasted for 12 hours or more, 46% for ten hours or more and 76% for eight hours or more. It therefore concluded that the claim “up to 12 hours” was not misleading.

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