New advice from CAP on “green” claims in ads

26 November 2007

With the increasing attraction of the “green pound”, all sorts of products are being marketed on their environmental credentials.  CAP and ASA have seen claims for many different ”green” products ranging from electricity, houses, paints, cars, clothing, investment trusts, fridges, paper, furniture, beauty products and many more.  The temptation to over-claim in a market in which consumers will often pay a premium for ‘‘sustainable” products or have more brand loyalty to an “ethical” marketer is enormous and set to increase.   One advertiser who tried too hard to salve the consciences of its customers fell foul of the ASA by advertising an SUV as being “guilt free”.  The ASA thought the advertiser was talking a lot of hot air when exaggerating how environmentally friendly the car was.  Click here to read the adjudication.

By far and away the hottest topic is the link between global warming and carbon emissions.  We all need to do our bit and every little helps but marketers should make sure they do not overstate the likely impacts of using their products.  One marketer based its carbon-saving calculations on the assumption that consumers would be able to charge their phones for a year using the power of the sun’s rays instead of mains electricity.  The ASA concluded that, global warming not withstanding, that was not likely to happen.  Click here to read the adjudication.

The market for “green” goods changes fast, as does the data advertisers must use to substantiate their claims; marketers should make sure their evidence backs up any claims they want to make.  The ASA recently upheld a complaint against a wind farm operator because the data used was out of date and exaggerated the amount of CO2 that the development would save.  Click here to read the adjudication.

With those concerns in mind, the CAP Copy Advice team is about to launch a set of new AdviceOnline entries on our website to give marketers a helping hand when making “green” claims.  The advice ranges from recycling and organic food to advice about wind farms, aviation and cars.  To see them all, simply type “green” into the AdviceOnline database search box.

If they don’t tell you everything you need to know, we recommend you should consult the CAP Copy Advice team, which can give you free advice on whether your campaign risks getting your company (or client) into trouble with the ASA. Our team of advisers know the CAP Code inside out.  They have in-depth knowledge of the latest ASA adjudications and are well-qualified to spot potential problems with your campaigns and advise you on the changes you should make.You can do that by calling us on 020 7492 2210, e-mailing enquiries to advice@cap.org.uk  or accessing our AdviceOnline database on the CAP website.   Our advisers might not be able to predict the future but they can certainly tell you which way the wind is blowing.