The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2024
Fake 'NHS joint expert' advertorial banned — a supplement sold with invented authority
An advertorial said an 'NHS joint expert' called a supplement a cure for arthritis. The title was invented — the ads were banned.
Physical Nutrition · 2024-06
What happened
On 7 January 2024 a content-discovery ad showed a photo of a person with a comb-like device on their leg under the text 'Joint Doctor Begs Seniors To Repair Joints With This Tip – NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE LTD – Sponsored'. It linked to newnutritionsecrets.com, where an advertorial headed 'NHS Arthritis Expert Reveals #1 Joint-Destroying Mistake Brits Make Every Morning' claimed 'Your joints can heal themselves at any age… Human cartilage can regrow, just like hair and nails'.
The article linked to a page with a photo captioned 'Dr. Paul O'Connell - GP & Rehabilitation Engineer', a 20-minute video on the Activ8 Joint Complete supplement, a survey, and a purchase page claiming the product 'Relieves soreness, stiffness, and discomfort – Prevents inflammation, damaged cartilage, and bone decay – Facilitates joint repair & recovery'. Nutritional Sciences Ltd, trading as Physical Nutrition, did not respond to the ASA's enquiries.
On 19 June 2024 the ASA upheld all three issues. The ads claimed the supplement could treat or cure arthritis and joint disease, which is prohibited for food; the specific health claims were not authorised on the GB Register of nutrition and health claims; and describing Dr O'Connell as 'the NHS's leading joint expert' was misleading and unsubstantiated, while attributing health claims to an individual health professional is not acceptable in food marketing. The ads breached CAP rules 1.7, 3.1, 3.7, 15.1, 15.1.1, 15.6, 15.6.2, 15.6.3 and 15.7, and were referred to the CAP Compliance team.
Why it happened
- An advertorial sold a supplement as a cure for arthritis — disease-cure claims are prohibited for food, full stop.
- The 'NHS's leading joint expert' was a real GP, but the title was invented — authority was the product being sold.
- Health claims rode on a registered doctor's name — something food marketing may not do at all.
- The company never answered the ASA — a silent advertiser ships its case straight to compliance.
The lesson
Authority cannot be invented: Physical Nutrition's advertorial promoted a joint supplement through an 'NHS's leading joint expert' who never held the title — the ASA banned the ads.
Aftermath
The ASA told Nutritional Sciences Ltd to stop making disease-cure and health claims for the supplement and not to attribute health claims to individual health professionals, and referred the case to its Compliance team.
Sources
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