Rachel Weisz L'Oreal Ad Banned Because Of Photoshop

Rachel Weisz

First Posted: 02/ 1/2012 5:58 pm Updated: 02/ 1/2012 6:31 pm

Think you can look like Rachel Weisz if you slather on L’Oréal's latest anti-wrinkle cream? Maybe... if you also go nuts with Photoshop. The makeup giant's use of extensive retouching in its ads has gotten it in trouble before and now its latest ad, featuring Weisz, has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.

The ASA has called the Oscar winner's print ad for L’Oréal’s anti-wrinkle cream Revitalift Repair 10 "misleading." The ASA, which also cracks down on things like dubious claims about iPhone web speeds, released this statement about the Weisz ad:

"We told L’Oréal Paris to ensure that they did not use post-production techniques in a way that misrepresented what was achievable using the advertised product. Although we considered that the image in the ad did not misrepresent the luminosity or wrinkling of Rachel Weisz’s face, we considered that the image had been altered in a way that substantially changed her complexion to make it appear smoother and more even. We therefore concluded that the image in the ad … misleadingly exaggerated the performance of the product in relation to the claims ‘SKIN LOOKS SMOOTHER’ and ‘COMPLEXION LOOKS MORE EVEN’.”


L’Oréal's jaw-dropping defense: “We do not believe the ad exaggerates the effect that can be achieved using this product.”

ASA has previously banned similarly over-doctored images of 40-something stars Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington in other cosmetics ads. In the case of the Turlington ad for a Maybelline foundation called The Eraser, L’Oréal (which owns Maybelline) admitted that Turlington's image had been "digitally retouched to lighten the skin, clean up makeup, reduce dark shadows and shading around the eyes, smooth the lips and darken the eyebrows," but claimed there were still signs of aging, such as crow's feet, and that the image "accurately illustrated" what could be achieved with use of their product.

[via Movieline]

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Think you can look like Rachel Weisz if you slather on L’Oréal's latest anti-wrinkle cream? Maybe... if you also go nuts with Photoshop. The makeup giant's use of extensive retouching in its ads ha...
Think you can look like Rachel Weisz if you slather on L’Oréal's latest anti-wrinkle cream? Maybe... if you also go nuts with Photoshop. The makeup giant's use of extensive retouching in its ads ha...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Carrick
05:31 PM on 02/02/2012
Before and after effects in ads are among the most deceitful of all advertisements. Some of the tricks are obvious, such as using different, better lighting in the after photos and also the heavy layers of makeup. They call the photos "un retouched", which I suppose they technically are, but misleading? You betcha.

The skin product ads this article talks about are trickier, since photo shopping is used. The photos are re-touched after they're taken, and it becomes harder to tell someone is faking the results. I sure wish the USA had an organization like ASA. But we don't... so in the meantime, it's buyer beware.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
baydolphins
Gone crazy...back soon
07:11 PM on 02/01/2012
at least it looks like her, I want to know how mascara ads are allowed to show....every single one of them has false eyelashes...you could wear no mascara and have eyelashes 3" long....where is all the hub-ub about that?
photo
mem60
You think ? What was your first clue ?
07:48 PM on 02/01/2012
I've noticed that too, not only in paper ads, but on commercials. It's false advertising to recommend that any mascara will make anyone's eyelashes look as long and thick as they claim while having their models (often movie-stars) batting obviously fake lashes.
06:18 AM on 02/02/2012
In England the ASA regulates all commercial ads. In mascara commercials you will SEE at the bottom of the screen stating the model is wearing false eyelashes AND that it was altered post production. Same for hair color ads- they admit to using hair extensions and post production editing to get that shine and volume.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
baydolphins
Gone crazy...back soon
10:50 AM on 02/02/2012
we don't have that in the USA