Adverts accused of exploiting new mothers’ insecurities over body image banned
Ads for online pharmacy Juniper have been banned after they were found to be promoting prescription-only weight loss drugs directly to the public and exploiting new mothers’ insecurities about body image.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled against Instagram and Facebook ads, saying they created an unnecessary sense of urgency for people who were also considering medicated weight loss programmes.
The ASA also found that posts within Facebook weight loss support groups paid for by Juniper did not make it clear that they were sponsored.
The headline of one Facebook ad seen in October read: “I probably needed a hug but decided to lose weight with medication.” [sic] Instead I went on the journey with Juniper, and I really didn’t expect it to bring much more than just advancement in scale. “For me, it’s about having my confidence back, the energy I thought I had lost, and being reminded that showing up for myself is always worth it.”
The video included various clips of a woman caring for her baby, walking with a stroller, posing for photos and standing in a locker room with a bottle of protein shake in hand.
The ASA objected to whether the ad suggested new mothers should prioritize losing weight after birth, which exploited their insecurities about body image and was therefore irresponsible and promoted prescription-only drugs to the public.
Juniper said she disagreed with the idea that the ad encouraged new mothers to prioritize weight loss, and that the point of the ad was that mothers could “seek the balance that’s right for them.”
The ASA found the ad exploited new mothers’ insecurities and put constant pressure on them to conform to body image stereotypes, adding: “For these reasons, we concluded that the ad was irresponsible as it contained a harmful gender stereotype and therefore breached the rules.”
The ASA investigated two Instagram ads for Juniper featuring Black Friday promotions seen in November and December, which included the following text: “Run, don’t walk. Save £179 in 6 months… now that’s a Black Friday sale.”
The watchdog told Juniper not to promote prescription-only drugs to the public in the future and to ensure that future advertising does not create an undue sense of urgency for consumers considering medicated weight-loss programs.
The ASA also investigated the following comments and posts in weight loss support groups on Facebook, which appeared in September: “Juniper’s lower wegovy price is a solid deal, 25% cheaper than mounjaro. Weight loss results like mounjaro are worth checking out while it lasts” and “First time Juniper customer here – Ordered on Saturday, delivery arrived today! If anyone is interested I can share my code for £85. I’ll also get £85. discount on my next order, that’s for both of us.” It’s a nice bonus!”
Believing the posts and comments were paid for by Juniper, CheqUp Health disputed whether they were clearly identifiable and violated advertising rules because they promoted prescription-only drugs to the public.
The ASA banned the ads.
CheqUp founder Toby Nicol said: “Today’s decision highlights the need for greater clarity in the weight loss medicines market. The fact that non-compliant adverts continue to appear so visibly on fast-moving digital channels creates confusion for consumers and gives the impression that some practices may be permitted when they are not.”
“While the rules appear to be set on paper, the reality is that the current framework still does not provide enough clarity or consistent enough application for a category that has evolved rapidly in recent years.
“This creates an unbalanced environment where responsible providers can be punished while others can push the envelope.”
