The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has upheld a complaint against Adsat challenging the efficacy of its Thermoplast V37 slimming product.
The objection was made to a regional press advertisement that was headlined 'Revolutionary Fat Buster!". It continued: "Thermoplast V37 removes inches off your waist, hips, thighs... in 30 minutes! Never before has technology offered such a painless, permanent, effective and effortless solution to body slimming. If you are serious about shaping up, call Body & Soul and try the 3rd millennium slimming technology ...".
The ASA challenged whether the advertisement complied with the Slimming section of the Codes.
In their defence the advertisers said they had placed the advertisement once to raise awareness of the product. They said they believed they had documentary evidence to substantiate their claims, had not exploited the credulity of people and had conducted rigorous trials on people. The advertisers also argued that they had referred to inch loss and had not claimed that people would lose weight.
They maintained that Thermoplast V37 was the result of five years of research and development by three French institutes of scientific and medical research. They asserted that the product was designed to eliminate fatty deposits and redefine the traditionally problematic cellulite areas of the body.
The advertisers also explained how the product worked. They said extensive tests had been conducted in France and the results showed that 92 per cent of people had had a significant reduction in the perimeter of the treated area. They further explained that they had also conducted their own tests and people had lost centimetres after one session.
The Authority said it considered that the advertisers' evidence did not substantiate the claims "Fat Buster", "removes inches off your waist, hips, thighs ... IN 30 MINUTES!" and "Never before has technology offered such a painless, permanent, effective and effortless solution to body slimming." As such it said it was concerned that the advertisers had not substantiated the efficacy of the product and considered that the advertisement breached the Slimming Section of the Codes.
The advertisers were instructed not to use the advertisement again and to advertise on an availability only platform. The ASA advised them to consult the Committee of Advertising Practice Copy Advice team before advertising again.