Who: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Jaded London Ltd
Where: United Kingdom
When: 5 August 2026
Law stated as at: 18 September 2026
What happened
An email for Jaded London, a clothing brand, featured an image of a model in fashionable clothing and accessories standing in front of a scooter next to a body of water. The ASA considered that the scene evoked an aspirational holiday lifestyle. The model was holding a slim cigarette with visible ash at the tip, which the ASA considered suggested it was lit.
The brand contended that it was not clear whether the model was holding a cigarette, as the object appeared to be slimmer than a typical cigarette and no smoke was visible in the image. It also said that, even if viewers understood the object to be a cigarette, it did not appear to be lit given the absence of visible smoke. The brand also said that the cigarette was not the focus of the ad, as it was less prominent than other elements of the image such as the model’s clothing and accessories.
The ASA found that the image was heavily stylised and presented the model in a fashionable and attractive manner. By associating this imagery with smoking, the ASA concluded that the ad had the effect of portraying smoking as appealing and therefore irresponsibly glamorised it.
Why this matters
The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) states that marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society. This ruling shows that even where a depicted product, such as a cigarette, is not the focus of the ad and is only incidentally featured, the ASA may still find that the overall impression of the ad glamorises smoking. In light of this, brands will want to review all visual elements of their marketing materials, including background details, to ensure they do not inadvertently associate their products with conduct that could be considered irresponsible under the CAP Code.
