A television commercial for Boots’ No7 Future Renew serum has been rapped by the UK’s advertising watchdog.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld 18 complaints branding the advert irresponsible for its “light-hearted and flippant” tone around sun safety.
The advert featured a woman looking at a photograph from ten years ago and commenting: “Remember this? Can’t believe we didn’t always use sunscreen.”
This was accompanied by a small print, which read: “Recommended with daily SPF usage.”
Another version of the woman (with a second woman) came to life in a photograph and responded: “I know right, we were too busy having fun.”
It then switched to a contemporary version of the first woman in a photograph, saying: “let’s not regret our sunny memories”, to which the second woman in a framed photo next to the first whispered: “Let’s do something about it.”
A voice-over then said, “No 7 Future Renew serum”, continuing with on-screen text: “Clinically proven to reverse visible signs of sun damage. A world-first peptide technology.”
The voice-over and on-screen text concluded: “Don’t regret, just reverse.”
Boots said that the advert was based on consumer research which showed many consumers did not regularly apply sunscreen, further noting that no use of scenes such as the beach or pool were used.
It also argued that the women in the advert were older and regretting their younger selves decision to not wear sunscreen consistently.
However, while the ASA acknowledged Boots’ argument that the examples of not using sunscreen were historic, it felt statements like “too busy having fun” to be light-hearted and flippant about the subject of sun damage.
This, it ruled, would be seen to suggest that not using suncream could be taken lightly.
The watchdog concluded that the adverts must not appear in the form complained of.
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