Post by Amaris on Dec 5, 2011 2:06:47 GMT
Taken from Sense About Science website
www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/a4e_examples_of_evidence_hunting.html#RogerDettmer
Roger Dettmer is editor of E&T Education, a magazine for secondary school science teachers, published by the Institution of Engineering & Technology
“Looking through the Times I noticed a claim in a Marks & Spencer advertisement for thermal tops, being sold under the brand name ‘Heatgen’. According to the advertising copy ‘Heatgen thermal tops not only generate heat, but act as insulation’. The insulation bit I could understand, but claims that a piece of fabric could generate heat seemed at total variance with our most basic understanding of heat and energy."
"I fired off an immediate compliant to the Advertising Standards Authority – describing the claims for Heatgen as ‘nonsensical and misleading’. Subsequently, I found a reference to how Heatgen is supposed to work on a page on the M&S website.
CLICK HERE
"I passed the details of the web link on to the Advertising Standards Authority, along with why I thought it ‘didn’t hold water’. I then emailed the M&S press office, asking if I could talk to someone who could explain the technology behind Heatgen. Either the claim is total nonsense, in which case it’s a matter for the Advertising Standards Authority, or it represents a fundamental breakthrough in our understanding of heat and energy, in which case it’s a great story for my magazine."
"I’ve yet to hear from the M&S press office, but I received a letter from the Advertising Standards Authority informing me that they were dealing with my complaint ‘under their formal investigations procedure’, meaning that they will ask Marks and Spencer to ‘send evidence’ to support their claims for Heatgen. I’m still waiting to hear from them.”
***Update Friday 2nd December***
M&S are withdrawing the heat generating claim, which no longer appears on their website and will not be used in any future advertising.
www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/a4e_examples_of_evidence_hunting.html#RogerDettmer
Roger Dettmer is editor of E&T Education, a magazine for secondary school science teachers, published by the Institution of Engineering & Technology“Looking through the Times I noticed a claim in a Marks & Spencer advertisement for thermal tops, being sold under the brand name ‘Heatgen’. According to the advertising copy ‘Heatgen thermal tops not only generate heat, but act as insulation’. The insulation bit I could understand, but claims that a piece of fabric could generate heat seemed at total variance with our most basic understanding of heat and energy."
"I fired off an immediate compliant to the Advertising Standards Authority – describing the claims for Heatgen as ‘nonsensical and misleading’. Subsequently, I found a reference to how Heatgen is supposed to work on a page on the M&S website.
CLICK HERE
"I passed the details of the web link on to the Advertising Standards Authority, along with why I thought it ‘didn’t hold water’. I then emailed the M&S press office, asking if I could talk to someone who could explain the technology behind Heatgen. Either the claim is total nonsense, in which case it’s a matter for the Advertising Standards Authority, or it represents a fundamental breakthrough in our understanding of heat and energy, in which case it’s a great story for my magazine."
"I’ve yet to hear from the M&S press office, but I received a letter from the Advertising Standards Authority informing me that they were dealing with my complaint ‘under their formal investigations procedure’, meaning that they will ask Marks and Spencer to ‘send evidence’ to support their claims for Heatgen. I’m still waiting to hear from them.”
***Update Friday 2nd December***
M&S are withdrawing the heat generating claim, which no longer appears on their website and will not be used in any future advertising.
