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ASA Bans Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry Ads for Misleading Sustainability Claims

The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned paid Google search ads from Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry for making misleading environmental sustainability claims. The ASA’s rulings stem from its targeted investigation into green advertising in the retail fashion sector, assisted by an AI-powered monitoring system.

Key Reasons for the ASA’s Rulings

• Misleading and Ambiguous Claims: Ads used broad terms like “sustainable clothing” or “sustainable materials” without clear definitions or adequate evidence. This created a false impression that the products had no negative environmental impact throughout their full life cycle.
• Lack of High-Level Substantiation: Although the brands provided some sustainability-related data—such as use of recycled materials or reduced environmental footprints—these did not sufficiently support the absolute claims made in the ads.
• Failure to Address Full Life Cycle: The ASA emphasized that environmental claims must be based on the product’s entire life cycle, unless explicitly qualified. The companies’ evidence mostly showed improvements or partial sustainability rather than complete environmental neutrality.

Specific Case Summaries

• Lacoste: Claimed its Spring/Summer 2025 Kids collection was “sustainable clothing” based on a comparative life cycle analysis showing reductions from the 2022 collection. The ASA determined this only proved improvement, not complete sustainability, and thus banned the ad.

• Nike: Advertised tennis polo shirts featuring “sustainable materials,” referring to products with recycled fabrics (e.g., at least 75% recycled content). The ASA ruled the claim ambiguous and unsupported since no evidence showed the products were fully sustainable across their life cycle.

• Superdry: Promoted a “wardrobe that combines style and sustainability,” noting that 64% of its products contained sustainably sourced materials. The ASA found this an unqualified, absolute claim that misled consumers to believe all products were sustainable, which the company’s own data contradicted.

ASA’s Requirements for Future Advertising

• Environmental claims must be clear and unambiguous.
• Absolute sustainability claims require high-level substantiation considering the entire product life cycle.
• Advertisers must qualify claims and avoid misleading generalizations.

The ASA has warned the three brands not to repeat such claims without sufficient evidence and clarity. Nike confirmed cooperation with the ASA and reaffirmed its commitment to transparent consumer information.

Implications for the Fashion Industry

This enforcement highlights increasing scrutiny on “greenwashing” in fashion advertising. Brands must ensure rigorous, full life cycle environmental assessments back any sustainability claims, especially in marketing channels like paid ads where messaging is brief yet influential. Transparent and substantiated communication is essential to maintain consumer trust and comply with evolving advertising standards focused on environmental sustainability.

Sources

• British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rulings, June 2025
• Brand sustainability reports and public statements
• ISO 14040 and 14044 life cycle assessment standards

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