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ASA Bans ‘Sustainable’ Claims in Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry Ads for Misleading Environmental Advertising

Date: December 3, 2025
Source: Sourcing Journal

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Google search ads from Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry over misleading environmental sustainability claims. The ads used broad, unqualified terms like “sustainable clothing” or “sustainable materials” without sufficient evidence or clarity, violating both general advertising and specific environmental claims standards.

Key Findings of the ASA Investigation

• Scope of Claims: The ads implied products had no negative environmental impact throughout their entire life cycle, a claim the ASA found unsubstantiated.
• Insufficient Substantiation: While each brand provided evidence of sustainability efforts—such as using recycled materials or reducing environmental footprints—this evidence fell short of supporting absolute claims made directly in the ads.
• CAP Code Breaches: The ASA upheld violations under edition 12 of the CAP Code, requiring clear basis and high-level substantiation for environmental claims, which includes the product’s full life cycle impact unless explicitly qualified.

Brand-Specific Insights

Lacoste

• Claimed its Spring/Summer 2025 Kids collection is more sustainable than the SS22 collection, citing a 19% reduction in raw materials footprint based on ISO 14040/44-compliant life cycle analyses.
• ASA ruled this only proved improvement, not full sustainability, acknowledging Lacoste’s admission that terms like “sustainable” and “eco-friendly” are difficult to substantiate.
• Lacoste removed the ad following the complaint and pledged not to repeat the claim in the same form.

Nike

• Advertised “Nike Tennis Polo Shirts – Sustainable Materials,” highlighting recycled components making up at least 75% of the product.
• ASA found the claim ambiguous and unqualified, noting no evidence that these polo shirts had no environmental detriment across their life cycle.
• Nike explained that limited ad text prevented full disclosure and that further details are available on product pages but accepted ASA’s ruling and committed to clearer information in the future.

Superdry

• Claimed “Sustainable Style” and promoted building a wardrobe combining style and sustainability, stating 64% of garments contain sustainably sourced materials.
• ASA found this an absolute claim misleading consumers to believe all products were sustainable, contradictory to Superdry’s own data.
• Superdry admitted the ad was produced in error and acknowledged the lack of publicly available full life cycle data to support the claims.

Regulatory Implications

The ASA’s use of AI-driven Active Ad Monitoring to target greenwashing in retail fashion demonstrates increased scrutiny of environmental marketing claims. Advertisers must:

• Clearly define and substantiate any sustainability claims with comprehensive, product-specific life cycle data.
• Avoid ambiguous or absolute claims that imply a product’s entire life cycle is without environmental harm unless fully supported.
• Provide transparent information accessible to consumers beyond limited ad formats.

Conclusion

This ruling signals heightened regulatory demands for accuracy and transparency in sustainability marketing by fashion brands. Consumers seeking genuinely sustainable products should expect clear, qualified claims backed by robust environmental data. Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry’s experiences highlight the importance of responsible communication in advancing true sustainability in the retail sector.

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