Sanofi-Aventis created the advert for its inject-able facial
product Sculptra, which it claimed would make a person look
younger.
The advert stated that the photographs "have not been retouched"
and the ASA did not say that they had, but they did say that other
techniques used to make the model look better in the 'after'
picture broke its rules on truthfulness.
The company told the ASA that it "believed the photos were
representative and provided additional results and photos showing
the effects of Sculptra on patients, along with patient and doctor
consent," the ASA said.
The claims for the treatment included that "Sculptra stimulates
your natural collagen production to help smooth lines and wrinkles,
and restores facial contours, helping you to look younger naturally
for up to 2 years after treatment".
The ASA said that the clearly different photography methods used
for the 'after' photos were likely to make it difficult for
consumers to assess the truthfulness of the claims.
"We noted that the Before and After photos used different
lighting and colour casts and that the photos were reproduced at
different sizes," said the ASA ruling. "We also noted that the
models expression and make up was slightly different in each
shot."
"We considered that changing the lighting, light angle, colour
or framing could have a significant effect on the appearance of the
model," it said. "We acknowledged that the model might be
considered to look younger in the After shot, but considered that
the differences in the way the photos were produced could
misrepresent the effects of the treatment and concluded that the
images were misleading."
The ASA said that the advert broke its rules on truthfulness,
substantiation and health and beauty products.
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