Advertising Standards Authority bans Just Eat advert
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint that the ad, which featured McDonald’s burgers, promoted products high in fat, salt, or sugar to under-16s through the social media platform.
The complaint was made in December 2023 by Bite Back 2030, a youth campaign group, following which the ASA ruled the ad must not appear again in its current form.
The Committee of Advertising Practice code requires that HFSS product ads are not directed at individuals under 16 through the selection of media or the context in which they appear.
As seen in December, the ad featured text that stated: “Fancy a McMuffin in the morning? McNuggets for lunch? Or a big night in with a Big Mac? Get them delivered right here.”
Just Eat argued the paid-for ad had been aimed at individuals aged over 18 using Meta’s age-targeting tools.
It further said that the complainant would not have been able to see the ad if they had a Facebook account registered with an age under 18.
“We concluded that Just Eat had not taken sufficient care to ensure that the ad, which promoted several HFSS products, was not directed at individuals aged under 16 years. The ad therefore breached the code,” the ASA said.
In response, Just Eat said it believes it took reasonable precautions to avoid protected age groups from seeing the advertisement by filtering targeting to users aged over 18.
“Although we are disappointed by this outcome, Just Eat acknowledges the ASA’s concerns,” a spokesperson said.
“We are now reviewing our processes to ensure future promotions reach only the intended audience.”
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