Maybelline mascara ad approved by ASA
Post production techniques on TV ad considered illustrative, not misleading
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled not to uphold a complaint against L’Oréal over a TV ad for Maybelline mascara. The ad featured a voice over stating: “… The secret? Our collagen enriched formula and claw brush flick out and extend the look of lashes at the corners for up to seven times more volume”, as well as close ups of a model wearing the mascara.
A viewer challenged whether the ad was misleading because she believed post production techniques had exaggerated the product’s effects beyond what a normal consumer could expect to achieve.
In response, L’Oréal/Maybelline said its advertising agency had been very careful to ensure the ad showed lashes that were realistic in length, thickness and quantity. It also provided a list of product ingredients including film forming and lash adhering polymers and volumising waxes that could increase thickness and length of lashes upon application. Additionally, L’Oréal argued that the claw brush was specially designed to catch every lash and comb lashes out at the corners.
Finally, L’Oréal maintained that the illustrated effect was created in line with the CAP Help Note on production techniques in cosmetics advertising and was approved by Clearcast. It had also supplied Clearcast with before and after shots of models using the product.
As such, the ASA decided not to uphold the complaint; it noted that Maybelline had submitted before and after shots of consumers using the product, which showed that the product could extend the look of lashes at the corners and give lashes more volume. And although post production techniques were used in making the ad, the ASA felt that the length and volume of the lashes shown in the ad did not go beyond what a consumer would expect to achieve.
No further action was felt to be necessary.