The L’Oreal television and magazine advertisement, featuring Penelope Cruz claiming that women could have up to 60 percent longer eyelashes with its Telescopic mascara and showed her applying the mascara to some gorgeous lashes, landed in controversy for being misleading. A viewer supposed that Cruz had been wearing false lashes and complained to the ASA. Following the complaint, the firm eventually admitted that Cruz had worn individual false lashes. In its ruling, the ASA has stated that it was concerned that the adverts failed to make it clear that lashes would ‘appear’ up to 60 per cent longer.
The company in question had stated in its defense, ‘Penelope Cruz was wearing a few individual false lashes inserted into her natural lashes to fill in the gaps in her natural lashes for a consistent standard of lashes.’ In response to the complaint, L’Oreal has also stated that it was ‘common industry practice’ to use some artificial lashes to ensure a ‘consistent lash line’ during filming. However, the ASA has ordered L’Oreal to add a disclaimer to future adverts whenever models are shown wearing false lashes.
The ASA in its ruling also stated, ‘While Penelope Cruz may not have been wearing a full set of eyelashes, the images of her wearing individual false eye lashes… nevertheless exaggerated the effect that could be achieved.’
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