The Telegraph Media Group has been censured by the advertising regulator for running a front-page promotion for a bottle of water it claimed could lower blood pressure.
TMG's ad for the promotion for a free bottle of water, which included a puff on the front page of the Daily Telegraph - "Lower your blood pressure with our free spring water" – has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority.
The promotion claimed the bottled water, 120/80, named after the optimum blood pressure, was "the first spring water developed especially to tackle the growing problem of high blood pressure".
"We concluded that the ad could discourage readers from seeking essential medical treatment for a serious medical condition," the ASA ruled.
The ASA also ruled that the advert "made medicinal claims for an unauthorised product", another breach of its advertising code.
Works with Water, which was involved in the promotion, admitted that the Telegraph ad should have read, "Free spring water for every reader to help lower your blood pressure".
The word "help" was omitted due to a "proofing error" for which Works with Water accepted full responsibility.
However, the Daily Telegraph was responsible for the front page promotional box.
The spring water contained dairy peptides, which can help lower blood pressure, Works with Water said.
TMG said it had been alerted to the problematic wording of the promotion by the Committee of Advertising Practice the day the advert appeared and it had immediately halted the promotion.
The company added that the procedures it had in place to prevent such occurrences had not been properly followed and the relevant personnel had been reminded of their obligations to the CAP code.
"Every effort would be made to avoid a similar occurrence in future," TMG said.
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