The ASA ruled against a misleading Nike ad on social media.
- An advert for £26 Nike trainers was found misleading by the ASA.
- The ad implied availability in adult sizes, misleading many consumers.
- Nike had allowed The Sole Supplier to advertise without prior approval.
- The ASA ordered the ad not to appear again in its current form.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has determined that an advertisement for Nike trainers, circulated on social media, violated advertising standards by being misleading. The ASA’s ruling concluded a complaint related to a promotional campaign that suggested trainers were available at the enticing price of £26.
This advertisement had been deployed on X, previously known as Twitter, and appeared to show a pair of Nike trainers under the impression they were available to adult consumers. However, the offer was restricted to a limited range of sizes, specifically UK sizes 3-6, creating confusion among potential buyers who may have assumed broader availability.
Nike engaged in a commercial partnership with The Sole Supplier, an affiliate advertiser, permitting them to market products without prior consent from Nike. This arrangement, as clarified by Nike, involved commission-based incentives dependent on sales, not click metrics. The ASA noted in its ruling that Nike’s stance was that the risk of misleading consumers was managed under this model, as the ad guided users to additional product details, including size availability.
Despite these assurances from Nike, the ASA upheld that the advertisement’s brief caption and imagery failed to inform consumers comprehensively about the size limitations. The association ruled that such omissions were likely to lead to misinformed purchasing decisions, as the materials did not clearly convey that the trainers were meant for older children with limited adult sizing.
As a result, the ASA has concluded that the advertisement was misleading due to these omissions. The regulatory body has instructed both Nike and The Sole Supplier to refrain from repeating this approach in future advertisements and to ensure that all pertinent information, such as size limitations, is clearly communicated in promotional content.
The ASA’s decision serves as a reminder to advertisers to ensure transparency, preventing consumer deception.
