ASA ruling on weight-loss and wellness provider

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Menwell Ltd t/a Voy has breached the CAP code by advertising prescription medicine to the public and offering Black Friday discounts on a medicated weight-loss programme.

The advertisements were over three emails, with the first stating, “Black Friday is almost over for good. Join Voy’s medication-based weight loss programme with coaching, tracking and support – for less. Discount applies automatically at checkout or use code VOYWLBF” along with an image of a Wegovy branded injection pen. The second ad featured the headline, “Black Friday is live —Up to £70 OFF weight-loss plans” and “Black Friday ends tonight – time left: Expired”. The third email “£50 OFF all Weight loss plans” and “[…] This Black Friday, get £50 OFF every VOY plan – monthly or long-term.” These two ads contained an image showing an injection pen with the text “tirzepatide” on the label.

When contacted by ASA, Menwell Ltd t/a Voy stated that the emails were only sent to existing customers and not the general public. They accepted that the email should not have contained a named prescription-only medicine and that the use of “Black Friday” pricing could be seen as pressuring consumers, but that it did not change their clinical safeguards.

ASA upheld the complaint as, although consumers had opted in to marketing, they had not made a specific enquiry about named prescription-only medicine. By including images of a Wegovy (semaglutide) branded injection pen and an injection pen labelled “tirzepatide”, Menwell Ltd t/a Voy had breached the CAP code.