ASA - Advertising Standards Authority

The following decisions have been released to the ASA website:

Complaint 21/351 Marvel Health, Print, Upheld
Complaint 21/352 Marvel Health, Print, Upheld
Complaint 21/382 Nitro, Facebook and Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/384 Nitro, Facebook and Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/385 Nitro, Facebook and Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/387 Nitro, Facebook and Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/419 Marvel Health, Print, Upheld
Complaint 21/422 Marvel Health, Print, Upheld
Complaint 21/423 Jehovah’s Witnesses, Addressed Mail, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/424 Be Well Chiropractic, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/458 BCITO, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/477 Winton, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/484 Fishpond, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/495 BCITO, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/292 Slingshot, Website, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/368 The New Zealand Quit Chinese Communist Party Centre, Print, Not Upheld
Complaint 21/440 Save the Children, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/450 @claudiaconglen, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/452 @ashleehuntsnz, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/190 Appeal 21/008 Kelloggs LCMs, Television, Appeal Allowed, Complaint Not Upheld
Complaint 21/416 Appeal 21/012 Chorus NZ, Television, Appeal Declined, Complaint No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/431 Westpac NZ, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/320 Dunedin City Council, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/410 NZSale.co.nz, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/426 New Zealand Blood Service, Television, Facebook, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/430 Adore Beauty, Google, Settled
Complaint 21/461 @missbrookebutterworth, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/465 RAC, Out of Home, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/467 Hair Plus, Email, Settled
Complaint 21/468 Sky Television, Neon, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/469 Mediaworks, The Edge, Website, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/336 Turmerix, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/436 Hello Fresh, Email, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/445 New Zealand Blood Service, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/447 Visa New Zealand, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/449 Progressive Enterprises, Countdown, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/455 Department of Internal Affairs, Three Waters, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/456 Good George Brewring, Drinkspy, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/457 Lion NZ, Steinlager Alt Blacks, Website, Linkedin, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/460 Unicef NZ, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/463 Dan Carter, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/466 Frucor Suntory New Zealand, V Energy Drink, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/478 NZME, The New Zealand Herald, The 90% Project, Website, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/487 The New Zealand Mask Company, Facebook, No Grounds to Proceed

Marvel Health complaints upheld

The ASA recently upheld four complaints related to Marvel Health for making unsubstantiated therapeutic claims.

Two of the advertisements were print ads in the Weekend Sun newspaper, promoting Marvel Health’s new clinic in Tauranga as well as its total-body health scan that claimed could diagnose a range of problems. The other two ads were in the Bay of Plenty Times newspaper, promoting a whole body scan for a “Total Health WOF”, as well as offering targeted screening for over 60s that stated was ideal for narrowing arteries and chronic inflammation.

The complaints the ASA received were concerned the advertisements made unsubstantiated therapeutic claims and could be misleading, as well as prey on vulnerable audiences.

The Complaints Board agreed and upheld all four complaints, ruling the advertisements needed to be removed and not used again in their current form.