UK bans ads from Lacoste, Nike and Superdry

The British advertising regulator has banned paid Google ads from Lacoste, Nike and Superdry for misleading sustainability claims. The ads used terms such as “sustainable clothing” and “sustainable materials” without substantiation.

Claims without evidence

The ASA tracked down the ads using Active Ad Monitoring, which uses AI to monitor targeted ads in specific sectors. The regulator warns that broad or absolute terms such as “sustainable” can mislead consumers because they may suggest that a product has a positive or neutral environmental impact on balance.