Watchdog raps clinic over fertility advert

Claire O’Sullivan

The advert for the Life Clinic offered "professional caring help to stop smoking, overcome depression, stop stress and increase fertility with a 100% success rate with 95% of clients."

Queries were made to the ASAI about the accuracy of the claims and the clinic was duly asked for documentary evidence to substantiate them.

The clinic's owner failed to respond to the request but said he was "only one of a handful of people in Ireland who specialises in the areas of depression and infertility."

He said his "service was priceless if or when positive results are achieved." He also stated his "success statistics speak for themselves."

The ASAI upheld the complaint and said that all advertising claims should be backed up with documentary evidence.

Meanwhile, several complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority about a television advertisement where a group of shoppers were set upon by a group of zombies.

The advertisement, for Lucozade, shows the zombies dancing and playing basketball after drinking the soft drink but one of their arms and part of somebody else's torso falls off during the game. Another's eyes pop out.

According to the complainants, the advertisement was "distasteful and horrific." Some said it was too frightening for children and that it shouldn't be aired before 9pm. Another said "the last thing people want to see on television is decaying bodies" while another person said it was degrading to young people who die weekly through illness and road accidents.

The advertisers responded that the advert was meant to show lightheartedly how Lucozade could even energise zombies and that none of their research had shown their target audience would be offended by the advert. They also said, by agreement, it wasn't shown before 7pm on RTÉ television. The ASAI did not uphold the complaint.

Complaints were also made about a false tan advertisement which has appeared on bus shelters.

The poster shows a woman, pictured from the waist down, wearing a mini skirt and bare legs. Its heading reads: "New Sex On Legs Instant Part Tan. Shameless Shimmer."

The complainants all objected to the term 'Sex On Legs' and said it was insulting to women and inappropriate especially for children.

The advertisers, used by Rimmel, said the term wasn't meant in a sexual way and apologised if it caused offence. They said the poster was no longer being used on outdoor sites.

In their judgement, the ASAI backed the complaint and said an advertisement should not use offensive or provocative copy or images merely to attract attention. W