The UK’s advertising watchdog has banned an Instagram post by TV personality Gemma Collins in which she promoted a headset as a treatment for depression.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the ad discouraged seeking professional medical advice.
In the video posted in May 2023, Collins wore the Flow Neuroscience AB, a £400 headset that sends mild electrical pulses to the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which regulates mood. Collins claimed: “The Flow works faster and better than antidepressants. It’s like having your own therapist in the comfort of your own home. You’re in complete control of your treatment.”
UK advertising regulations state that marketing should not “discourage essential treatment for which medical supervision should be sought”. The Advertising Standards Authority decided that Collins’ endorsement suggested the device was a preferable alternative to prescription medication, thus encouraging viewers to bypass medical supervision.
Although Collins confirmed that her advert included text advising viewers to “always consult their GP without fail”, the ASA noted that this only encouraged initial consultation and failed to meet the requirement for ongoing medical supervision. The ASA concluded that “the implication is that people who start using the device will be able to stop taking their medication after a short period and without medical supervision. We considered that the advert trivialised the decision to stop antidepressants or not to take them at all and encouraged people to take their treatment into their own hands.”
Gemma Collins, known for her role in reality TV show The Only Way is Essex, is now a TV personality and podcast host.
In a separate ruling, the Aviation Standards Authority banned a Virgin Atlantic advert over a misleading claim about using “100% sustainable aviation fuel”. The radio advert promoted the first transatlantic flight powered solely by sustainable aviation fuel. The Aviation Standards Authority, which has recently cracked down on claims of “environmental misinformation”, said the advert gave a misleading impression about the environmental impact of the fuel.
Miles Lockwood, Complaints and Investigations Manager at the Aviation Standards Authority, commented: “It is important that claims about sustainable aviation fuels are made clear so that consumers are not misled into thinking that the flight they are taking is greener than it actually is. Claiming that a product or service is sustainable creates the impression that it is not harmful to the environment, which is why we expect to see strong evidence for this.”
This is the first time the aviation standards body has banned an ad over claims about sustainable aviation fuel, which is crucial to the aviation industry’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.