Kitchen Wizard Falls Foul of the ASA

A complaint, objecting to a regional press advertisement, for Kitchen Wizard, Llandudno, Conwy was upheld according to published details from the Advertising Standards Authority.

Ad
A regional press ad, for Kitchen Wizard, stated ‘A multitude of door designs, textures and colours are available, along with a comprehensive range of handles and, if required, sinks and appliances. Kitchen Wizard is unique in the respect that our doors are individually made to measure to the exact size needed.’

Issue
Hinton Interiors objected that the claim ‘Kitchen Wizard is unique in the respect that our doors are individually made to measure to the exact size needed’ was misleading because they also offered a bespoke door replacement service.

The CAP Code: 3.1;7.1;19.1

Response
Kitchen Wizard said they applied the dictionary definition of the word 'unique' in relation to the claim in their ad. They pointed out, for instance, that the Collins English Dictionary definition listed the informal use of the word to describe the 'unusual' or something that was 'very remarkable'. Kitchen Wizard said the majority of kitchens sold in the UK were supplied by B&Q, MFI and Magnet and maintained that none of those firms offered a tailor-made doors service. They believed that the fact they could renovate kitchens using tailor-made doors and matching replacement accessories made them unique within the informal definition of the word.

Assessment
Upheld
The ASA noted Kitchen Wizard considered that their service was unusual and therefore unique. We considered, however, that consumers were likely to expect that the service being offered would not be available from other companies.

Because the service was available from other companies, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.

The ad breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 7.1 (Truthfulness) and 19.1 (Other comparisons).

Action
The ad must not appear again in its current form. Kitchen Wizard should not suggest in future ads that they are the only company that offer a bespoke door replacement service.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)