Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority.
Unless obviously intended to mean something else by other statements in the advertisement, we interpret “leading” claims as equivalent to “best-selling”. In 2001, the ASA disagreed with the advertiser’s contention that the leading claim was based on superior editorial quality and news content (Financial Times Business, 16 January 2002).
Marketers sometimes say they intended “leading“ to mean “first to the market” or “innovative”. To accept that interpretation of the claim, marketers should state or suggest clearly that a best-selling statement was not intended. Similarly, other intended meanings of “leading” should be clear and supportable. In 2003, an advertiser argued that the claims “leading school of shiatsu therapy for horses and dogs” and “the world’s leading practitioner & teacher of Shiatsu” were justified because the school had been established since 1996 and had over 300 students worldwide and the teacher had been a qualified practitioner since 1997. The ASA did not accept that the advertiser had supported its claim (Jacqueline Cook, 10 December 2003).
Last modified : 30 July 2010