Shell commercials banned over false fuel claims
Two Shell advertisements for money saving fuel have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for exaggerating the savings the product could provide.
The ban affects a direct mail advert, issued in March, which read: “Shell FuelSave Unleaded and Diesel – are designed to help you save fuel and money… designed to improve your fuel economy from the very first fill.”
It went on to claim that motorists could save up to one litre per tank at no additional cost.
“Up to” savings claims require that 10% of consumers should be able to obtain the maximum claimed saving but insufficient evidence was found to substantiate the claim.
An April radio commercial has also been banned for making similar claims.
In moving to ban the promotions the ASA concurred with complainants who attested that these benefits were exaggerated.
In their ruling the ASA stated: “The ads stated that fuel savings ‘may vary according to vehicle’, but we considered that the claim in the ads that consumers could save up to one litre per tank at no extra cost implied that the saving would be applicable to all or most vehicles.”