Coca-Cola Great Britain Falls Foul of Advertising Watchdog Over Vitaminwater
The UK Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints challenging whether a claim by Coca-Cola Great Britain that its Vitaminwater product was “nutritious” was misleading. The complaints concerned a poster advert by Coca-Cola Great Britain for Vitaminwater, which stated: “enhanced hydration for the nation delicious and nutritious.”
The ASA considered that consumers would understand the word “nutritious” in the context of the ad as a claim that Vitaminwater contained added ingredients that were needed by the body in order to stay healthy. However, the ASA considered that consumers would not expect a “nutritious” drink to have the equivalent of four or five teaspoons of added sugar. Because Vitaminwater contained about a quarter of a consumer’s GDA for sugar as well as the added vitamins, the ASA ruled that the description of Vitaminwater as “nutritious” was misleading.
