According to Red Bull, its sugary energy drink is “appreciated worldwide by top athletes, students, and in highly demanding professions as well as during long drives.”

However, according to the ASA, its latest advert which features on the London Underground, is making false claims.

The advert implies the drink is capable of improving focus and concentration and suggests that consuming the drink could help workers finish work early.

The advert features the title: “The secret to finishing early” and presents a poem indicating that the secret to completing tasks quickly and finishing early is to drink the energy drink.

A reader complained to the ASA challenging whether the advert implied Red Bull had a beneficial effect on health, in particular focus and concentration, which is a health claim not authorised on the European Register.

Red Bull argued that the advert promoted a consumer initiative, the 4PM finish on September 14th, 2018. They said such initiatives were evidence of Red Bull’s humorous brand ethos and the advert was not to suggest that consumption of Red Bull would help achieve certain goals.

In an outline of the claim, ASA says: “The ASA considered that while the ad’s tone was light-hearted, the scenario it presented of being overwhelmed or busy at work was one that would be familiar and relatable to consumers.

“While we understood that the ad was intended to be part of a marketing initiative aimed at encouraging consumers to improve their productivity and leave at 4pm on a specific day, we considered the penultimate line of the poem, “… to leap every hurdle a hectic day brings” implied that Red Bull could help improve customers’ mental focus, concentration and energy levels (and therefore increase productivity).”

It was decided that the advert must not appear again in its current form.

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