Paid-for advert on social media fell foul of health claims rules

The ASA upheld a complaint against Unicorn Brands Ltd, trading as Nutrition Geeks, over a Facebook advertisement for its creatine supplement. The ad claimed the product was “clinically backed to support muscle strength” and included imagery suggesting enhanced muscle definition and body shape.

Nutrition Geeks argued that the claims were based on the authorised creatine health claim that creatine increases physical performance during short-term, high-intensity exercise. However, the ASA considered that references to muscle strength went beyond the scope of the authorised claim.

The ASA also found that the statement “Creatine fuels the muscle your protein can’t build alone” and the accompanying “before and after” imagery implied additional benefits that were not supported by authorised nutrition or health claims. As a result, the ad was deemed to contain unauthorised health and nutrition claims.

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