In December, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned an advert by an aesthetic manufacturer citing misleading and exaggerated earning claims for clinics it was selling its products to.1 A quick flick around the advertising watchdog’s website shows that this incident is far from isolated in the aesthetic and cosmetic industry – hyperbolic claims in advertising are rife.2,3,4
Although this recent example impacted clinics, the public are frequently the ones to be targeted with inflated marketing claims around beauty and cosmetic services. Brands have often faced criticism for feeding into unattainable ideals of attractiveness, promoting products and treatments in a way that suggests they can achieve the idea of ‘perfection’. At first glance, it may look like the industry revolves around image and videos rather than words when it comes to marketing, but I find the type of language…
