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Asking For Trouble – Posing A Question Lands Cranberry Supplement In Hot Water With Italian Ad Regulator

 
• By Tom Gallen

An advertisement for a cranberry supplement which asked the question ‘Urinary tract infection?’ earned Italy's Sofar a slap on the wrist from the country's advertising regulator. The authority ruled that posing such a question was misleading consumers about the product's curative qualities.

ItalyScales
• Source: Shutterstock

Food supplement firms looking to make a splash and grab consumers' attention with thought-provoking marketing campaigns push the boundaries to stand out from the crowd. But marketers must always remain mindful of overstepping regulatory red lines. Unfortunately for Italy’s Sofar SPA, simply posing a question in an advertisement for its Cistiflux cranberry supplement was a step too far and landed the firm in hot water with the local regulator.

A print ad published in the Italian press for Cistiflux A plus 36+D (type-A proanthocyanidins from American cranberry extract and D-mannose) contained the question: “Urinary tract infection

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