The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an Iceland advert that claimed its Luxury Sourdough Crumpets taste better than M&S's Ultimate Five Grain Crumpets. The ASA ruled the claim was misleading and could not be substantiated.
The press advert stated that Iceland's crumpets were 'better than M&S Ultimate Five Grain Crumpets for overall quality'. It was based on a taste test involving 58 participants, of whom 79% rated Iceland's crumpets as excellent or good, compared to 62% for M&S.
M&S challenged the advert, arguing the claim was misleading. The ASA agreed, noting that with a sample of 58, the difference amounted to only about 10 people. It also said participants rated both products separately rather than choosing a favourite, so the results did not show a clear preference for Iceland.
Iceland argued the test was 'statistically valid and robust', conducted blind across three UK locations with diverse demographics. However, the ASA concluded the sample was too small to support the claim, and banned the advert from appearing again.
