Britain bans L’Oreal beauty ads

Story from PRI’s The World. Listen to audio above for full report.

Britain has banned two ads by cosmetics company L’Oreal on the basis that they are misleading. The photos featuring Julia Roberts and model Christy Turlington have been digitally touched up.

Ian Henderson, an advertising executive with the marketing firm AML Group based in London, says the overly airbrushed images are what you’d expect in these types of ads.

“Fashion is about aspiration and appearance,” Henderson told The World’s Lisa Mullins. “So showing exaggerated results for beauty products can be deceiving, but it’s what people want from those products.”

But these ads push the limits in their depiction of what can realistically be attainable with the products, according to Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat member of parliament who filed the complaint.

More of this story at The Independent.

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