Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop reported to UK ad watchdog for ‘dangerous’ marketing to women
Goop, the ‘lifestyle brand’ created by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, has been reported to UK advertising regulators just weeks after its expansion into the European market.
Goop's London pop-up
According to The Times, the charity Good Thinking Society filed a report with the National Trading Standards and the Advertising Standards Authority alleging that it had breached over 113 UK advertising laws.
The organisation has accused the company of promoting “potentially dangerous” advice related to “unproven” health products.
One product in the spotlight is called ‘The Mother Load’ which professes to be “top-of-the-line natal protocol” for women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant.
The £88 product claims to contain 110% of the recommended “daily value” of vitamin A for adults. However, both the NHS and the World Health Organisation have stated that pregnant women should not take supplements containing vitamin A because of the potential risks to an unborn baby.
It comes following the expansion of the controversial company into the UK market last month when it launched a European e-commerce site and a pop-up store in London’s Notting Hill.
It’s not the first time ad regulators have taken action against Goop. In September, it agreed to pay $145,000 (£112,000) to settle a lawsuit in California which was brought by the state’s consumer protection office following a number claims Goop had made that were later found to be misleading.
Its ‘Vaginal Eggs’ were marketed as a way to balance hormones and regulate menstrual cycles, while a ‘Flower Essence’ product was sold as a cure for depression.
The company was banned from selling medical devices that are falsely advertised and forced to offer refunds for customers who purchased the eggs or the flower essence under false claims.