Johnson & Johnson Clean and Clear ad branded misleading
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that a TV advert for Johnson & Johnson’s Clean and Clear Spot Control Kit must not appear again in its current form as the before and after testimonials featured were not shot under the same conditions. In the before shots the girls (neither models nor actresses) were asked to remove all make-up except for that on their eyes. However, in the after shots, a light powder was added to the subjects’ T-zones to remove shine ensuring that the shininess did not detract from the results on the improved clarity of skin. Although Johnson & Johnson produced testimonials from the director and photographer to confirm that the lighting used did not affect the appearance of the girls’ skin, the ASA considered that in order to make the before and after comparison fair both shots should have been taken under the same conditions, ie without make up.
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that a TV advert for Johnson & Johnson’s Clean and Clear Spot Control Kit must not appear again in its current form as the before and after testimonials featured were not shot under the same conditions. In the before shots the girls (neither models nor actresses) were asked to remove all make-up except for that on their eyes. However, in the after shots, a light powder was added to the subjects’ T-zones to remove shine ensuring that the shininess did not detract from the results on the improved clarity of skin. Although Johnson & Johnson produced testimonials from the director and photographer to confirm that the lighting used did not affect the appearance of the girls’ skin, the ASA considered that in order to make the before and after comparison fair both shots should have been taken under the same conditions, ie without make up.
A second complaint asked whether the claim “a clinical study showed 100% of people had improvement in just one day” was valid as only 30 people were involved. However this complaint was not upheld as the ASA considered that the evidence did show an improvement after one day of product usage.