A television advert for Persil washing liquid, owned by Unilever PLC (LSE:ULVR), was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over misleading claims it was kinder to our planet.
The ad first appeared on 31 March this year and starts with a beach covered in litter, followed by text on the screen which says it is “made with 50% recycled plastic”.
A voice-over then says: “Tough on stains. Kinder to our planet. Dirt is good.”
According to a statement from the ASA, a complaint was made challenging whether Persil claiming its washing liquid was “kinder to our planet” was misleading.
Unilever challenged the complaint, stating its washing liquids were in fact kinder to the planet as they needed a lower temperature to wash at, 30C, as well as being made of 50% recycled plastic.
However, the ASA upheld the complaint, adding such claims can only be made if the advertised product provides a benefit over other products.
“We concluded that the basis of the claim 'kinder to our planet' had not been made clear,” said the ASA.
“Additionally, in the absence of evidence demonstrating that the full life cycle of the product had a lesser environmental impact compared to a previous formulation, we concluded the ad was likely to mislead.”
Green claims made by organisations have been in the spotlight recently, with the Competition and Markets Authority looking into Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda over their own green claims.