ASA raps Reebok for bum ad

Reebok’s campaign for its EasyTone Curve trainers has been banned for unproven claims that they “help tone legs and bum”.

The TV ad featured women walking, dancing, jumping and being athletic with the camera focused on bottoms and legs and trainers. The voiceover said: “Reebok EasyTone. Helps tone legs and bum more than regular trainers.”

An accompanying magazine ad said: “Reetone with every step. Get up to 28% more of a workout for your bum. And up to 11% more for your hamstring and calves.”

Two complainants challenged whether the claims could be substantiated.

Reebok says its claims were substantiated by an independent test study. It adds that EasyTone trainers help tone legs and bottoms more than regular trainers because increased muscle activation meant the muscle worked harder and became toned.

It says the magazine ad line that the trainers worked specifically-named muscles was qualified with the “up to” copy line while “with every step” made clear there was no benefit when standing still.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority says that the sample size of the study was too small to support the absolute claims made in the ads and ruled that they must not be run again in their current form.