The Dutch Board of Appeal from the Advertising Code Committee has ruled Primark’s investigated claims as misleading, after investigating the company for several misleading expressions.
Ads on Primark’s Dutch website and in-store locations around the Netherlands were the subject of the inquiry.
The complaint specifically targeted Primark’s advertising using images of clothing manufacturers. The phrases “training for equality” and “opportunities for all” are displayed with these images. Primark said in a smaller font at the bottom of the poster that it won’t deal with this until 2030.
The Board of Appeal declared that Primark’s claims lacked adequate evidence. The official conclusion was “insufficiently substantiated to assume that the ambition will be achieved (in time).” Regarding additional allegations, the group stated that it was not sufficiently evident that the goals that Primark had stated were aspirations rather than finished products.
“While we are pleased that the Appeals Board was satisfied with some of the Primark Cares roadmaps, the mixed ruling highlights the real challenges and differing opinions on how best to communicate these complex issues to consumers. We welcome this important discussion and will continue to think carefully about how to share Primark’s progress on sustainability with our customers,” said a Primark spokesperson.
