The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) dismissed complaints Glaxo was overstating the vitamin C and blackcurrant juice content of Ribena drinks in TV adverts, and misleading viewers about their source.
The nature of a squash drink
The fact neither the ads, website or on-pack information spelled out that the majority of the vitamin C content in Ribena drinks is due to fortification rather than blackcurrant content, was challenged, but the ASA found no deception.
It considered consumers, “were unlikely to be interpreted as suggesting all of the vitamin C in the product was derived solely from blackcurrants.”
Therefore the ad claims that consumers could “get your daily dose” of vitamin C were not overstated.
“We considered consumers were likely to understand the nature of a squash drink and, although we considered they implied the product had significant blackcurrant content, the ads were not likely to be interpreted as suggesting Ribena as a squash drink was an alternative to fresh blackcurrants, or that the product offered the same amount of vitamin C, or an otherwise similar nutritional profile, to that of an equivalent intake of blackcurrants,” the ASA ruled.
“Bursting with Berryness”
The agency said Glaxo could use slogans like “Bursting with Berryness” even though sweetened and unsweetened versions of the drink contained only 6-7% blackcurrant juice because, again, “consumers were likely to understand the nature of a squash drink and therefore were unlikely to interpret the ads as suggesting the product contained only blackcurrants or that the product had a similar nutritional profile to an equivalent intake of blackcurrants.”
On this reasoning, the ASA said the ad did not overstate the product’s nutritional profile.
The TV ad showed animated farm-dwelling berries flying through the air leaving a “Vitamin Ceeeeeeeee” jet stream. The ad was streamed on the Ribena website, where additional nutritional information was also displayed.
The website states: “Each 250ml serving of Ribena squash or a 288ml Ribena carton contains your daily dose of vitamin C, and most of our other Ribena drinks are rich sources of vitamin C as well. There are loads of delicious Ribena products packed with vitamin C for you to choose from, including scrumptious strawberry and traditional blackcurrant…”