THE WHAT? The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that an ad aired by Procter & Gamble for its Braun Silk-expert IPL device misled consumers by claiming that it would provide ‘permanent visible hair removal’.

THE DETAILS The ad was found to breach BCAP Code rules 3.1 (Misleading advertising), 3.9 (Substantiation) and 3.12 (Exaggeration). Procter & Gamble has been ordered to pull the ad and ensure that it does not state or imply that its product can remove hair permanently unless it holds adequate substantiation to support the claim.

THE WHY? The ASA said that, from the claims made in the ad, viewers would understand that, by using the product, they would be able to achieve long-lasting hair removal and that it was not sufficiently clear that only hair above the surface would be removed and repeated applications were necessary.