Nike, Lacoste and Superdry adverts banned by Advertising Standards Authority

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints against three major fashion brands – Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry – over misleading environmental claims in their advertising. The rulings, published on 3 December 2025, form part of a wider investigation into greenwashing in the retail fashion sector.

Nike
A paid Google ad for Nike promoted “Nike Tennis Polo Shirts […] Sustainable Materials.” The ASA found the claim ambiguous and unqualified, likely leading consumers to believe the products had no negative environmental impact across their life cycle. While Nike said its polo shirts contained at least 75% recycled materials, the ASA concluded this did not substantiate an absolute sustainability claim. The ad breached CAP Code rules on misleading advertising, substantiation, and environmental claims.

Lacoste
Lacoste faced scrutiny over website and social media content describing children's clothing products as “sustainable clothing.” The ASA ruled that these broad, unqualified terms were likely to mislead, as they implied significant environmental benefits without clear explanation or evidence covering the full life cycle. The brand failed to provide adequate substantiation for these claims.

Superdry (Supergroup)
Superdry's ad stated: “Sustainable Style. Unlock a wardrobe that combines style and sustainability” and did not include qualifying information explaining the basis of the terms “sustainable” and “sustainability”. The ASA considered the term “sustainable”, in the context of the ad, was likely to be understood as meaning that all Superdry clothes, shoes and accessories, across their entire life cycle, would at the very least have no detrimental impact on the environment. The ASA concluded that the basis of Superdry's claim had not been made clear, its meaning was unlikely to be understood, and the ASA had not seen evidence to support it. It therefore concluded the ad was likely to mislead.

ASA’s warning to brands
The ASA has reminded advertisers that environmental claims must be clear, specific, and supported by robust evidence, particularly when using absolute terms like “sustainable.” Failure to do so risks misleading consumers and breaching advertising rules.

Key takeaways
The ads in these complaints were identified for investigation following intelligence gathering by the ASA's Active Ad Monitoring system which uses AI to proactively survey ads in specific sectors. It is possible that we could see more decisions along these lines as the ASA's focus on this area continues. Negativity around unsustainable practices, and misleading consumers of such or at least failing to be clear, can be highly damaging. 

Fashion brands should therefore review the claims they are making regarding the sustainability of their garments and ensure all information is clear and accurate in light of these new ASA decisions. Of particular importance will be ensuring there is evidence to back up claims, particularly when using an absolute claim, and also ensuring the full lifecycle of the product is considered. 

If you would like advice on compliance with the CAP Code please reach out to us. 

The full decisions can be found here:

https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/lacoste-e-commerce-a25-1309097-lacoste-e-commerce.html 

https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/nike-retail-bv-a25-1309100-nike-retail-bv.html

https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/supergroup-internet-ltd-a25-1309101-supergroup-internet-ltd.html