The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a Huel advert for a second time within two months due to code breaches.
- The advert featured Huel’s founder Julian Hearn discussing the Daily Greens product on Instagram.
- Claims made in the advert were found to be unsubstantiated, breaching advertising standards.
- Earlier breaches involved similar unverified claims in an ad featuring Steven Bartlett.
- Huel has been approached for comments regarding these regulatory actions.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has prohibited a recent advertisement from the meal replacement company Huel. This marks the second occasion within two months that the brand has faced regulatory action for breaching the advertising code. The contentious advert, shared on Instagram, featured Julian Hearn, Huel’s founder, speaking about their Daily Greens product.
In the video, Hearn asserted: “You’ve been told your whole life to eat greens, and a lot of people can’t get that amount of greens into their diet […] we’ve taken a very broad range of greens, so you get a product which is equally good, or in my eyes better, but you get it substantially cheaper.” These claims prompted scrutiny from the UK advertising watchdog.
Upon review, the ASA concluded that the claim suggesting Huel’s Daily Green contains as much or more overall nutrient content than an equivalent portion of green vegetables was not a “permitted comparative nutrient claim.” This finding led to the advert being deemed to have violated the advertising regulations.
Additionally, the ASA criticised the absence of evidence supporting statements related to the product being “substantially cheaper” than fresh vegetables, among other health claims. Assertions regarding elements like iron, biotin, and phrases such as “superfoods to supercharge your health” and “gut-friendly probiotics” were also considered unsubstantiated by the regulatory body.
This scenario echoes a previous incident in August when the ASA banned Huel’s Facebook adverts. Those adverts featured entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, who failed to disclose his directorial position at Huel, which was deemed misleading. The repetition of such regulatory breaches highlights ongoing compliance challenges for the brand.
As of now, Huel has not publicly commented on these findings and decisions by the ASA.
Huel faces ongoing scrutiny from the ASA concerning advertising claims, emphasising the need for adherence to regulatory standards.
