Tanning Shop ad banned for implying sunbeds are the most efficient way to increase vitamin D levels
An ad for The Tanning Shop which implied that using sunbeds was the most efficient way to boost vitamin D production has been banned by the advertising watchdog for making false and irresponsible claims.
Tanning Shop ad banned by ASA
The ad was posted in email form in March last year. The email featured claims including “Use our UV to get YOUR Vitamin D!” and “Exposure to UV light is the most powerful way to promote Vitamin D production and using a responsible tanning programme is by far the most efficient!”.
At the top of the ad was a picture of a tanned model in a swimming costume on a sunny beach with large text imposed on the image that read “Vitamin D”.
A complainant argued that the implication that using sunbeds was the most efficient way to boost vitamin D production was misleading because it is an unsubstantiated claim, and that it was irresponsible given the risks associated with over-exposure to UV and its ties to skin cancer.
While parent company The Feel Good Group provided a number of studies and academic reviews to support their claim, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) considered that none of the studies provided explicitly stated that sunbeds should be used to safely increase vitamin D levels – most mentioned either the use of vitamin D supplements or sunlight alongside adequate sun protection as a means of increasing vitamin D levels.
What’s more, the ad failed to mention any of the risks of sunbed use, which includes increased risk of skin cancer.
The ASA therefore considered the ad was misleading and irresponsible in its promotion of sun beds for a vitamin D boost, and has banned the ad from appearing again in its current form.