Ad watchdog calls for regulatory review of Goop for "deceptive" ads

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jul 5, 2018

Nonprofit Truth In Advertising (Tina.org) has called out Goop's content for being deceptive and not routinely backed by scientific evidence despite claims suggesting that it is.

In a post on Tina.org's website this week, the advertising watchdog said Goop's disclaimers are inconspicuous, explaining "Most people miss them... and, legally speaking, they can’t cure a false claim — the false claim being that, regardless of how Goop wants to project itself to the world, the company does not possess the appropriate scientific evidence to support many of the health claims on its site."

Tina.org first called the lifestyle brand out last year when it sent a list of Goop's false scientific claims to two district attorneys in California. Goop subsequently updated its content accordingly, however Tina.org claims that it recently found 24 claims on the brand's site that are still deceptive. Accordingly, Tina.org has renewed its call for regulatory action with the district attorneys.

There are five specific disclaimers used on Goop indicating different levels of research behind products. These are "ancient modality," "supported by science," "rigorously tested," and "speculative but promising." The fifth, "for your enjoyment" is the only label that clearly states there are no scientific studies relating to a product, stating simply that "it's fun and there's real merit in that."

Tina.org explains, "While the majority of the disclaimers admit that the health claims on the site rest on shaky scientific ground, there’s one that suggests Goop really has no idea what it is talking about."

The disclaimers are part of a coding initiative Goop launched last month in order to to better classify its content. The brand's site is using the codes on an increasing number of its stories, but the labels are not universally applied, adding fuel to Tina.org's argument that Goop is practising deceptive advertising.

More information about the nonprofit's investigation into Goop's advertising practises can be found on the Tina.org website.