Innocent is latest marketer to be found guilty of misleading consumers over green claims

An ad for Innocent Drinks has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for making unsubstantiated claims about its green credentials, hoodwinking consumers with woolly lines about “fixing up the planet.”

The ad watchdog ruled that Coca-Cola owned Innocent’s rather cheap-looking ad implied that just by purchasing their products, consumers would be benefiting the environment.

The social media ad shows people messing up the planet with litter and pollution, spouting lines like “If we’re looking after nature she’ll be looking after me” and ending with “Innocent. Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet.”

Complaints centred around the ad exaggerating the environmental benefits of the product. Innocent countered with another vague claim that it was “inviting consumers to join in on its journey of working towards a healthier planet” and something about being a B Corp.

Innocent’s ban comes only a couple of weeks after Oatly got in trouble with the ASA for misleading consumers into thinking that Oatly products generate 73% less CO2 than milk. Also in January, Aqua Pura water had an ad banned for overstating its recycling credentials.

Even if you’re a brand with some pretty easy win green credentials, you can’t get past the ASA unless you substantiate your claims, which is just as it should be. All the ads were made in-house, which tells its own story.