Point Two has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for producing “misleading” adverts.
The ASA received complaints from the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), Charles Owen and Design Headwear regarding adverts by the company, which produces airbag jackets for riders.
The photo accompanying the advert shows a child wearing only a Point Two jacket. Although you can wear a Point Two without a body protector underneath this is not permitted in British Eventing, Pony Club and Riding Club cross-country competitons.
One advert claimed “the child’s Point Two Air Jacket offers six times more protection than a BETA level 3 body protector”.
The other said: “Indications for TRL tests are that the air jacket reduces levels of chest deflection by more than 50% of those seen during an unprotected fall. The ultimate protection for you and now your children.”
Objectors said this implied that a level 3 body protector offered the same level of protection as using no protection at all. It was also misleading because air jackets only offered protection when inflated — which was not guaranteed in every incident — whereas body protectors offered protection at all times.
The ASA said it had not seen “suitably robust evidence to support the claim” that the jacket was six times more effective. It ruled that the adverts must not appear again in their current forms.
After reviewing, Point Two agreed that the claims made in the adverts were inaccurate and in breach of the code. It said it had now withdrawn the claim and would not use it in future and had strengthened its internal processes for checking its ads.
H&H is happy to confirm that the facts in our news story in the 24 March issue regarding Hit Air jackets having CE safety certification and thus being legally for sale are accurate.
The Point Two advert in the same issue contradicting these claims has also been referred to the Advertising Standards Authority.
