Harrogate Spring Water Changes Advertising Strategy
Harrogate Spring Water has agreed to stop using the strapline 'since 1571' after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed it "likely to mislead" consumers.
The strapline referred to the year Harrogate's spring water was first recognized as special by William Slingsby. However, the ASA considered that this claim gave the impression that the company had been in existence since 1571, when in fact Harrogate Spring Water was founded in 2002.
The presentation of some of these claims were likely to mislead because they gave the impression that the company had been in existence since that time.
The decision came after a complaint from the Pinewoods Conservation Group (PCG) to the ASA, which issued a summary of the case.
Author's summary: Harrogate Spring Water stops using misleading strapline.