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Coronavirus: Apprentice Star’s Ads Banned Over Covid-19 Claims

Posted on the 27 May 2020 by Thiruvenkatam Chinnagounder @tipsclear

Coronavirus: Apprentice star’s ads banned over Covid-19 claims

The company of a former apprentice competitor has banned three social media advertisements from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for Covid-19's misleading claims.

Revival Shots, founded by Daniel Elahi, suggested that his vitamin C rehydration sachets could increase immunity and help cure the disease.

The advertisements, one on Facebook and two on Instagram, have been removed from the company.

The BBC asked Revival Shots to comment.

He did not reply

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The ASA investigation has been expedited as part of the watchdog's focus on announcements exploiting health problems during the current Covid-19 crisis.

He said one of the examples claimed that vitamin C was being tested in the United States and China as a possible cure for Covid-19.

The post was accompanied by a caption that said that each sachet contained 500 mg of vitamin C.

An ASA spokesman said: "We considered the announcement, therefore, implying that the consumption of Revival Shots could, through their vitamin C content, help cure Covid-19."

Another advertisement featured a user review stating that headaches and sore throats decreased almost immediately after consumption.

Both are listed by the NHS as potential Covid-19 symptoms.

"Since the announcement was published in mid-April 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, it referred to symptoms sometimes associated with Covid-19 and the reviewer's" paranoia "about those symptoms and included the hashtag" #staysafe "That was commonly associated with the pandemic, we believed that consumers would understand that the claims in the review should have been understood to be related to Covid-19," said the watchdog.

The ASA also found that the company cannot support claims that the vitamin C content of its product could increase immunity.

"Revival Shots did not provide any evidence demonstrating that their products contained enough vitamin to be able to use any of those health claims authorized in advertising for their products," added the ruling.

"Ads should no longer appear in the disputed form."


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