The Advertising Standards Authority, the U.K. watchdog
group, has banned a potentially misleading Reebok ad for Reezig Zigtech
trainers over its advertising claims. It also ruled that Reebok had not
provided sufficient evidence for the technology involved.
The company claimed its ZigTech Apparel –
“engineered with celliant fibres” – could increase oxygen levels by
an average 7 per cent by reflecting infrared light back into the body and
allowing capillaries to relax. The ASA said the claims, made in a leaflet
featuring Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, were not supported by evidence.
According to ASA, Reebok Sports said “celliant
fibres were made up of ground optically responsive minerals that were added to
liquid polyester” which “caused infrared light emitted from the body
to be reflected back to the body causing the wavelength of light to lengthen,”
according to a report by Market Week.
These “longer infrared wavelengths allowed
capillaries to relax and be less constricted, resulting in an increased amount
of blood flow into the covered area that improved circulation.” However,
the ASA said the two studies submitted in support of the company’s claims were
not “documentary evidence for claims capable of objective substantiation”.
“We accept but disagree with this ruling, which was
based on one complaint about one leaflet,” a spokeswoman told Market Week.
