The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has banned online adverts from Nike, Superdry and Lacoste after ruling that each brand used the term “sustainable” without providing evidence to support it.
The watchdog said the ads, which appeared on Google, risked misleading shoppers at a time when environmental labels are increasingly scrutinised.
The ASA said it challenged the retailers after spotting ads promising “sustainable materials”, “sustainable style” and “sustainable clothing”. Under the UK advertising code, environmental claims must be “supported by a high level of substantiation”. Investigators asked all three companies to justify their statements but concluded none had provided adequate backing.
The crackdown forms part of a wider ASA effort using artificial intelligence to flag green claims that may breach the rules.
Nike’s advert for tennis polo shirts included the line: “serve and ace with Nike… sustainable materials.” The company argued the wording was framed “in general terms” and was intended to reflect that other Nike products contain recycled components.
The ASA said the ad failed to include basic detail about what made the product sustainable, finding Nike had “not explained the basis of its claim about the ‘sustainability’ of its products.”
Superdry’s ad promoted a “wardrobe that combines style and sustainability”. The retailer said consumers would not assume all its goods were sustainable. The ASA disagreed, describing the wording as “ambiguous and unclear” and stating: “Superdry had not provided evidence to demonstrate that their products had no detrimental effect on the environment.”
Lacoste faced a similar ruling after promoting its kids’ line as “sustainable clothing”. The ASA said the firm had reduced environmental impact but “had not offered evidence that its clothing would have ‘no detrimental effect on the environment’.”
All three adverts were banned, with the regulator warning that future environmental claims must meet the high evidential bar set out in the code.