ASA bans Instagram ads that misled people into believing they'll look like Kim Kardashian
The Advertising Standards Authority has banned three Instagram adverts for cosmetic fillers, ruling that the ads misled customers into thinking that the treatments would make them look like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.
The heavyweight regulatory body said the ads used pictures of celebrities and could lead to consumers being misled that the advertised packages would give customers features that resembled the likes of Kardashian and her sister.
It said that one ad by Beauty Boutique Aesthetics included a photo of Kardashian with text that stated: “When someone is listing the reasons they don't need Botox & all you can think about is how many units they need ...”.
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More text in the caption said: "We all know that one person don't we. I always recommend clients to question their treatments be administered by - a registered nurse NMC qualified or a Beauty technician? Many beauty technicians may be more than qualified, but always ask yourself, can they administer emergency drugs if the client has an adverse effect? The answer is no. …#botox.”
ASA said it also banned two other Instagram posts. One was by beauty salon Queen of Aesthetics advertising the ‘Kylie Jenner Package’ consisting of lip, cheek and jawline fillers. The other for fillers was Faces by AKJ Aesthetics, which included an image of Jenner.
Beauty Boutique Aesthetics did not respond to the ASA’s enquiries. Queen of Aesthetics told the ASA “it had not posted any ad that told their customers they could make them resemble Kylie Jenner, adding that it would be ‘almost impossible’ for a customer to look like anyone other than themselves after a non-surgical cosmetic procedure.”
Faces by AKJ Aesthetics said to the ASA “it used Ms Jenner's picture because she was recognisable to their target audience and showed the areas that could be treated, rather than to imply that their treatment could make consumers look like her.”