Brute farce: Under Armour scolded by watchdog over shirt strength claim
Under Armour has been given a ticking off by the advertising watchdog over claims one of its shirts made people stronger.
In a promotion for the long-sleeved baselayer shirt, which retails at £55, the sportswear brand said its product had been “tested and proven to improve strength and endurance”.
“The way it works is that the mineral-infused fabric absorbs the energy your body emits and reflects it back into your tissues and muscles,” the advert on the Under Armour website read.
“That means your muscles can work harder. And you get better.”
Under Armour threw its weight behind the claim, stating the shirt contained a product called Celliant, which is designed to enhance performance by recycling an athlete’s own energy.
The Baltimore-based fitness heavyweight also provided three studies to support its claim.
But the flex failed to pass muster with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after one customer questioned whether the claim was misleading and could be substantiated.
In a detailed analysis of Under Armour’s evidence, the watchdog said the scientific studies did not refer to the same Celliant shirt in the advert and featured small study sizes.
The ASA also cited concerns that none of the scientists behind one of the studies was independent of the company.
“Because we considered the evidence was not adequate to substantiate the claim… we concluded that the ad was misleading,” the watchdog said.
The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form and told Under Armour not to claim or imply its products could improve strength unless it had adequate new evidence.