AFP/London
Anti-wrinkle adverts featuring 69-year-old actress Helen Mirren can still be shown in Britain after a watchdog yesterday dismissed a complaint but said the images had received “some retouching”.
A viewer had complained that “post-production techniques” had been used to alter Mirren’s appearance, specifically the lines around her mouth, and claimed the ads misleadingly exaggerated the likely effect that could be achieved by consumers.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that wrinkles around Mirren’s mouth had not been airbrushed in a television advert for L’Oreal moisturising cream and that the retouching on print ads “did not relate in any way to the claims made for the product”.
“We noted that wrinkles were clearly visible on Mirren’s face in both ads, including across her forehead and around her mouth,” the ASA ruling said.
“We considered that the recent press images of Mirren would have reflected a similar degree of professional styling and make-up as the images in the ad... and that her appearance in the ads was comparable to those more candid images.
“The ASA considered that consumers would expect Helen Mirren to have been.... photographed and filmed professionally in flattering conditions,” it added, concluding that the ads were not misleading.
Mirren, who won an Oscar in 2006 for her title role in “The Queen”, in the ad says “It’s the science I trust to help me look like me. Nourish and indulge your skin, and show those age spots who’s boss. Grow another year bolder. Look and feel more radiant. Our perfect age is now. So are we worth it? More than ever.”
At the end of the advert, Mirren is shown donning a leather jacket flashing a glance at a younger man.
