Description:
The advertisement promoted a product as natural and claimed it was organic.
Complaint:
The complainant alleged the advertisement was misleading because the referenced claim is scientifically inaccurate given the advertised product is inorganic.
Response:
In its response to Council, the advertiser submitted that while use of the claim may be more commonly associated with products in categories such as the food and wellness industries, here it was intended to apply outside of those familiar categories and relate to the advertised product’s chemical composition and molecular structure.
Decision:
Council appreciated the advertiser’s response and considered the complaint together with the advertiser’s submission.
Council members were of the view that describing an inorganic product as organic was problematic and found the general impression conveyed by the advertisement to be misleading. One Council member noted that in its response, the advertiser was relying on its own specific interpretation about the advertised product’s elemental composition, which was factually incorrect.
For this reason, Council members unanimously held that the advertisement contained a misleading representation in contravention with Clause 1(a) of the Code.
Infraction:
Clause 1(a)
