Steven Bartlett Ads Banned For Misleading Consumers
Advertisements for nutrition products promoted by Dragons’ Den star and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after being deemed misleading, according to The BBC.
The ads, which featured Bartlett endorsing products from the health brands Huel and Zoe, failed to disclose his financial interests in the companies, a violation of advertising guidelines.
ASA’s Decision: Misleading Endorsements
The ASA’s ruling, announced this week, centered on two ads for Huel and one for Zoe that were shared on Facebook earlier this year.
In the ads, Bartlett, a prominent figure known for his podcast Diary of a CEO, is seen praising the products—Huel’s Daily Greens powder and Zoe’s health testing services—without making it clear that he is a director at Huel and an investor in Zoe.
This lack of transparency, according to the ASA, could mislead consumers into believing these endorsements were impartial.
The ads, which included statements like “This is Huel’s best product” and “It might just change your life,” were flagged after the ASA received complaints.
The watchdog emphasized that Bartlett’s commercial ties to the brands were “material to consumers’ understanding of the ads,” making the omission significant enough to potentially deceive consumers.
Brands’ Defense and ASA’s Response
Both Huel and Zoe defended the ads, arguing that Bartlett’s celebrity status and close association with the brands were well-known, and thus, consumers would naturally assume a commercial relationship.
However, the ASA disagreed, stating that such assumptions cannot be taken for granted and that explicit disclosure of Bartlett’s roles was necessary to avoid misleading the public.
The ruling concluded that the ads “omitted material information” regarding Bartlett’s positions, and therefore, breached advertising standards.
The ASA ordered that the ads must not appear again in their current form and warned the companies to ensure future promotions clearly disclose any commercial relationships.
Feature Image Credit: Will Ireland/PinPep
