Negative Health and Fitness Advertisements
What’s the best way to determine if an advertisement is exaggerating the truth or willfully misleading an audience?
It’s a fine line without a doubt. Especially for the health and fitness niches. It’s so important for health and fitness advertisers to stay compliant and only use truthful statements and information to promote a health or fitness product. To do otherwise could damage a brand’s reputation or even land a lawsuit in the lap of the business owner.
So what can advertisers do to avoid potentially ruining a brand or business’s reputation while still promoting a product efficiently? It has less to do with what you CAN do and what you should NOT do.
Let’s take a look at a handful of health and fitness advertising faux pas to avoid for your own campaign.
Negative Health and Fitness Advertisements – What NOT to Do
False Claims
It may seem tempting to stretch the truth in order to make a product seem better or more effective, but this is the biggest mistake you could make. Making false or misleading claims about a product in an ad campaign is not just bad practice, but it is also illegal.
Inaccurate Messaging
Before you launch your campaign, take the time to reevaluate your messaging. Are all of the claims made in your ad campaign backed up by scientific fact? Do you have reputable sources to include? Make sure your message is as accurate as possible.
Terrible Quality Photography / Imagery
Nothing will turn a potential customer off quite like badly-made advertisements. All of your images, video, and other media should be high-definitely and well-made.
Using Photography / Imagery that Offends
In addition to poor quality imagery, offensive imagery will surely result in your target audience avoiding your brand. Health and fitness is not an industry where offensive humor or comments are well-accepted. Your goal is to encourage your audience to improve their mind and bodies with health-related products. Offensive images have no place in such advertising.
Racist Undertones
Unfortunately, the health and fitness industry has had its fair share of racist advertising. All of your viewers should be able to consume your ad without having to view racist or prejudiced content.
In Offensive in Nature
As with racism, the health and fitness industry has had its share of offensive advertising in other ways. If your product is designed to target women in particular, your advertising needs to be relatable, not riddled with stereotypes.
Claims About Competitors
A snide joke about a competitor may seem all in good fun, but this approach doesn’t really work all that well in the health and fitness niche. Consumers don’t want to hear your opinion about a competitor– they want to hear accurate and convincing information about the product you’re selling and how it can improve their health.
Using Someone’s Image Without Their Permission
This goes without saying! If you want to use a person’s image in your advertising, get their explicit permission and make sure it is recorded.
