Oops! One would think that before French cosmetics giant l'Oreal signed Girls Aloud singer and "X" Factor judge Cheryl Cole to front their Elvive Full Restore shampoo and conditioner range, they would have considered the fact that her luscious locks may in fact be attributable to artificial hair extensions and therefore impervious to the effects of the company's products. As a result, they have many U.K. consumers crying foul and rightfully so.
While the television commercial featuring the singer contains a message stating that her hair is “styled with some natural extensions”, it remains on screen for fewer than two seconds of its 30-second duration. The print ad contains a disclaimer in characters measuring just 2mm high. L'Oreal maintains that while Cole's lustrous mane contains extensions made of human hair, they argue that such extensions are cared for in the same way as natural hair suggesting that their product claims are therefore perfectly valid. The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has so far rejected a number of complaints regarding the misleading nature of the adverts concluding that the disclaimer about Cole’s hair extensions was “clear and legible”.
Unfortunately for them, Cole's hairdresser Julien Guyonnet has now come forward and contradicted the statement suggesting that her extensions are in fact derived from artificial fibers. More importantly, many consumers are speaking out and voicing their displeasure at just how far brands can go in their advertising claims and still be within the legal confines of regulations governing advertising standards.
Part of the problem is that like so many celebrity figures, even the most intimate details of Cole's private life (including her husband's marital infidelities and her grooming preferences) are routinely dissected by British tabloids for the reading pleasure of her legions of fans among whom her hair extensions are apparently common knowledge. It becomes rather difficult for a brand to subsequently hide behind a weak disclaimer when their brand ambassadors are subjected to this level of scrutiny.
Interestingly, Cole's image does not seem to have been adversely affected by the controversy with many speaking out in her defense. Rather, it is l'Oreal's corporate image that's taking a hit. After all this, one has to wonder whether her endorsement (which most likely did not come cheap) lived up to the brand's trademark tag line and was indeed worth it.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
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