Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority.
The Code allows for many different types of claims and the level of evidence needed to support them will largely depend on the context in which they appear and what the ASA believes will be the consumer’s take-out. Obviously, marketers should not make claims likely to mislead consumers and should hold evidence for claims capable of objective substantiation but sometimes the way a claim was intended by the marketer is not the way it is understood by the consumer. Because context is so important, this section can act merely as a guide, not a definitive answer, to how claims will be interpreted and the level of evidence, if any, needed to justify them. The section, ‘Types of Claims’, should be read in its entirety.
Last modified : 30 July 2010