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Cases / Law, regulation and treaties · United Kingdom · 2022

UK Advertising Standards Authority upholds complaints about Innocent "Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet" advertisements (23 February 2022)

Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.

Nature's voice · report
Things were done in my name here. No one has measured what reached me.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
In my name
  • Advertising Standards Authority (UK) found that a claim made in my name was misleading. The claim was: “Innocent. Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet.” Advertising Standards Authority (UK)
Not on record
  • The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
What the record lacks: 1 none on record · 1 not measured See the gaps

On 23 February 2022 the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled that three Innocent advertisements (television and video on demand) were misleading because they implied that buying Innocent products was a choice which would have a positive environmental impact when that was not the case.

Ads must not appear againUK ASA ruling on Innocent "Little drinks with big dreams"
Ruling of 23 February 2022, complaint reference G21-1111827; 26 complaints. The ruling page records no fine.

Status As of October 2026: the ASA ruled on 23 February 2022 that the Innocent ads were misleading and must not appear again in their current form; the ruling page records no fine.

What?
The ASA upheld complaints about three Innocent television and video-on-demand ads. Advertising Standards Authority (UK)
Where?
United Kingdom (advertising regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority). Advertising Standards Authority (UK)
When?
Ruling of 23 February 2022; ads seen May 2021. Advertising Standards Authority (UK)
Who?
Gained
None on record
Lost
None on record
Harmed
None on record
Why?
The ads implied that buying Innocent products had a positive environmental impact; Innocent's actions did not show a net positive impact over the products' full lifecycles. Advertising Standards Authority (UK)
How?
A ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority under the CAP and BCAP Codes; the ads must not appear again in their current form. No fine is recorded. Advertising Standards Authority (UK)
5 of 6 questions answered from the record · open: who

What happened

The record, in order.

On 23 February 2022 the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled on three animated Innocent ads seen in May 2021 on television and video on demand (complaint reference G21-1111827; 26 complainants, one of whom identified as representing Plastics Rebellion). The ads showed a damaged planet being "fixed" and ended with the voice-over "Innocent. Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet."

The ASA accepted that Innocent was taking actions to reduce the environmental impact of its products, but found that this did not demonstrate a net positive impact over their full lifecycles; it noted that the bottles included non-recycled plastic. It concluded: "Because the ads implied that purchasing Innocent products was a choice which would have a positive environmental impact when that was not the case we concluded that the ads were misleading."

The ruling states: "The ads must not appear again in their current form." Innocent was told to ensure that its ads did not mislead as to the total environmental benefit of its products and that environmental claims were based on the full lifecycle of the products, unless stated otherwise.

  1. 2022ASA rules on Innocent "Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet" ads (G21-1111827): misleading as to environmental benefit; ads must not appear again in their current form (23 February)

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“we concluded that the ads were misleading”

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • Animated ads showing a damaged planet, polluted water and brown food, then a greener scene in which the planet was being "fixed", trees planted and fruit squeezed into Innocent bottles.
    Innocent · Advertising Standards Authority (UK)

Recorded

  • The ASA upheld the complaints: the ads implied that buying Innocent products was a choice with a positive environmental impact, which was not substantiated over the products' full lifecycles, and were misleading (G21-1111827).
    Advertising Standards Authority (UK)

In nature's name

What was promised in nature's name, the money that moved, and what was measured.

Promised

  • “Innocent. Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet.” — Innocent, closing voice-over of the television and video-on-demand ads (as recorded in the ASA ruling) (Seen May 2021) Advertising Standards Authority (UK)

What was measured

Not measured

The case concerns an advertising claim. The ASA ruling records no independent measurement of any benefit to nature from the advertised product or business.

Findings on record

  • Court or regulator ruling Advertising Standards Authority (UK) (2022-02-23) · G21-1111827: “the ads implied that purchasing Innocent products was a choice which would have a positive environmental impact when that was not the case” Advertising Standards Authority (UK)

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

  1. 2022-02-23Claimant won
    ASA ruling on Innocent "Little drinks with big dreams for a healthier planet" ads
    Advertising Standards Authority (UK) · Regulatory · 26 complainants, one identifying as representing Plastics Rebellion → Innocent Ltd

    Upheld: the ads implied that buying Innocent products was a choice which would have a positive environmental impact when that was not the case, and were misleading. The ads must not appear again in their current form. Reference G21-1111827. Advertising Standards Authority (UK)

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.

Nature

  • Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.

Record

  • None on record The ruling page records no fine and does not state whether any appeal followed.

Did the harm stop?

The ASA required that the ads must not appear again in their current form. The ruling page does not state whether any environmental measure was affected.

Who paid?

The ruling page records no fine or payment.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts— Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

Government and regulators

  1. ASA Ruling on Innocent Ltd t/a Innocent
    Advertising Standards Authority (UK) · 2022-02-23

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Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
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