In Response to NAD Inquiry, Maker of ‘Anti-Aging’ Gin Says Product has Been Discontinued

New York, NY – May 26, 2016 – Bompas & Parr, producer of “Anti-AGin Gin” for Warner Leisure Hotels, has advised the National Advertising Division that the product – promoted as providing a host of anti-aging benefits – has been discontinued and will not be re-issued.

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

As part of NAD’s routine monitoring program, NAD requested substantiation for claims that included: “Rejuvenates the skin while you drink”

• “for people who want to stay young but don’t want to give up alcohol”
• “includ[es] a host of age defying botanicals and combining them with drinkable collagen, this is the alcoholic equivalent of a facial.
• “What Makes Anti-AGin Anti-Ageing:
  • Age-Defying Botanicals:
  • Collagen – wards off wrinkles and fine lines in the skin;
  • Nettle – essential to cell rejuvenation and youthful skin;
  • Gotu Kola – inhibits scar formation; helps repair connective tissue and smooth out cellulite;
  • Chamomile – treats general illness to scars and cracked skin;
  • Witch Hazel Oil – strong antioxidant and astringent properties are perfect for killing   bacteria that lives within skin’s pores, stopping cellular damage that can lead to skin cancer, preventing signs of aging, and speeding up healing;
  • Burdock – antioxidant to repair any damaged or cracked skin;
  • Green Tea – full of antioxidants and clears the body of impurities.

NAD noted in its decision its concern that the advertiser’s claims and the list of certain skin-nourishing or healing properties associated with the advertised product’s ingredients could reasonably be interpreted by consumers to mean that the product actually achieved the  ascribed health benefits to the skin or that the product could deliver the same benefits as the individual ingredients listed.

A press release for the product’s launch described it as a “cheeky thank you to our guests for keeping our hotels fun and young… .” The product’s label noted that it is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to laughter lines and a lifetime of accumulated wisdom.”

However, both NAD and the National Advertising Review Board have held that humor does not diminish an advertiser’s obligation to make truthful and accurate advertising claims.

In this case, the advertiser offered no support for its claims but advised NAD in writing that the product is no longer for sale and that there are no plans to re-issue it. Consequently, NAD did not review the claims on their merits.  However, the voluntarily discontinued claims will be treated, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended their discontinuance and the advertiser agreed to comply.

In response to NAD’s decision, the advertiser stated that it “respects the advertising industry’s self-regulatory process and its commitment to providing its services to the marketing community.”

Note: A recommendation by NAD to modify or discontinue a claim is not a finding of wrongdoing and an advertiser’s voluntary discontinuance or modification of claims should not be construed as an admission of impropriety. It is the policy of NAD not to endorse any company, product, or service. Decisions finding that advertising claims have been substantiated should not be construed as endorsements.