Unilever, owner of Ola, files a complaint with the Advertising Authorities, because the commercial is misleading. The research the ad is based on was a simple taste test with only 19 participants. In order to name a competitor in an ad the ad should adhere to the conditions of paragraph 13 of the Dutch Advertising Code. The advertising authorities decide in favor of Unilever. For a test to be truly representative the minimum participant number is forty. Lidl made it appear as if they based their claim on such a test. Furthermore, in the test Lidl barely wins from Ola, scoring a 7.2 versus their 7.0. Because the consumer is not fully informed of the facts of this test the ad is deemed to be misleading. Lidl is requested to cease the campaign.
