Watchdog bans Harrington’s laser eye surgery ad as facts come into focus

ENCOURAGED to undergo laser eye surgery due to a high-profile endorsement from world-renowned golfer Pádraig Harrington? Then, ironically, you should have taken a closer look at that advert.

The Advertising Standards Authority in Britain has decided to ban a long-standing TV commercial for Optical Express on the grounds it misleads consumers into thinking Mr Harrington has undergone the surgery with the firm — instead of with a rival company.

In the advert, the Dubliner explains that when people ask him how to improve their game, he says: “I tell them the secret is to stay focused. And, of course, it’s important to have great vision. I need to be able to look down the line, focusing clearly on the target. My advice? Visit Optical Express… It could help your game too.”

A brochure for the firm featured a similar endorsement from the golfer.

However, Britain’s advertising watchdog has found the commercial gives the inaccurate impression that Mr Harrington is a former client of the firm.

The Advertising Standards Authority had previously upheld 23 of 25 complaints made against the campaign by rival laser eye surgery firm Ultralase, which relate to the same commercial.

Optical Express had called for an official review of all 25 complaints.

At the top of Optical Express’s defence was that the advert was an endorsement of laser eye surgery in general.

It said the advert did not “relate, or in any way concern, any claim made by Mr Harrington as to the place where he had undergone laser eye surgery or the provider who undertook that surgery”.

In addition, it argued there was “no ambiguity, misleading content or impression, implication or innuendo in the advert”.

But the watchdog said the advert and brochure gave the impression Mr Harrington — who has had laser eye surgery, but not with Optical Express — experienced the benefits of the procedure with that particular company.