GSK NiQuitin ads
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
National press ad, London Underground poster for GSK's NiQuitin CQ smoking cessation lozenge deemed "misleading" by Britain's Advertising Standards Authority in Sept. 11 ruling. Ad watchdog upheld a complaint brought by rival Pharmacia Consumer Healthcare challenging claim NiQuitin CQ can "triple your chances of success." In its defense, GSK maintains claim was based on a study of over 1,800 UK and U.S. smokers, which found 23.6% of participants in active arm achieved cessation, compared with 10.2% of those in control arm. GSK rounded up the odds ratio of 2.76 to give the "triple" claim. However, ASA concludes the inflated ratio "did not justify the claim" and recommends GSK amend the ads with help from the Committee of Advertising Practice Copy Advice...