A TV ad from Denplan has been banned following complaints it misled consumers over the dental health insurer's coverage.
The ad shows a man trying to hide his yellow, crooked and cracked teeth in order to take a selfie – exactly why you can never trust what someone looks like from their Instagram photos.
The voice-over states, "Love your teeth. Ask your dentist about Denplan." On-screen text stated '#doitforyourselfie'.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK’s version of the Advertising Standards Bureau, received 11 complaints about the ad because cosmetic dentistry is not covered by Denplan – a bummer for the man in the clip who could clearly use some work.
Denplan responded saying the main objectives of its plans were to motivate and encourage a proactive approach by patients to achieve good oral health and for patients to regularly attend their chosen dentist for check-ups, hygiene treatment and restorative care.
The complaints were upheld, with the ASA noting the ad did not give an explanation and therefore is misleading advertising.
“The absence of any explanation in the ad about what types of treatment were covered by Denplan, we considered viewers generally were likely to interpret the ad to mean anyone with poor teeth could improve their appearance through Denplan, including via cosmetic interventions,” the ASA says.
It ruled that the ad may not appear again in its current form. Denplan has been told to ensure that in future its ads do not mislead viewers about the extent of its insurance coverage.
You can watch the banned video here.
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