Just Eat ad banned by ASA for insufficient targeting measures

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an ad for Just Eat, after ruling that it failed to ensure that products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) weren’t targeted at consumers under the age of 16.

The paid-for Facebook ad, seen on 15 December last year asked, “Fancy a McMuffin in the morning? McNugget for lunch? Or a big night in with a Big Mac? Get them delivered right here.” Below the copy was a changing image that saw a serving of McNuggets replaced by Just Eat and McDonald’s logos.

Youth activist organisation Biteback 2030, which seeks to tackle the health dangers of processed foods, challenged whether the ad was for HFSS products, and whether the selection of media meant that it was aimed at children.

Just Eat responded by saying that McDonald’s determines the status of its products, but that the delivery brand understood that the Big Mac and McMuffin products are HFSS items.

The brand also said that it had targeted the ad at over-18s, using Meta’s age targeting tools. It presented data from Facebook which it said demonstrated that the ad had not been served to users who were registered as being under 18.

‘More targeted, more relevant’: Inside Just Eat’s capability and effectiveness missionHowever, the challenge was upheld because CAP guidance on age-restricted ads states that marketers should be able to demonstrate that all reasonable steps – including the use of any additional targeting tools available – are taken to ensure HFSS products are targeted at those aged over 16, and to minimise the exposure of children to the ad.

The ASA states that targeting solely on the basis of age is unlikely to satisfy CAP requirements because young people may misreport their age or use a shared device. It questioned whether Just Eat could additionally have used interest-based targeting measures.

The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form, and Just Eat was told to ensure that appropriate targeting is used in the future.

The decision comes months after its UK marketing lead Victoria Gold told Marketing Week that Just Eat was focused on making its marketing capabilities “more targeted, more focused and more personalised” in a bid to boost effectiveness.

Just Eat has also been expanding its partnerships to broaden its offer to customers.

Earlier this month it announced the extension of its agreement with supermarket Morrisons. On-demand grocery delivery will now be available from 380 Morrisons supermarkets, as well as from Morrisons Daily conveniences stores and Morrisons Cafes.