FFS! Shaving brand changes name after ‘misleading’ phrase creates friction
Cannock-based shaving subscription brand Friction Free Shaving has temporarily changed its name to FFS after the advertising watchdog banned the company from using the phrase “friction free” on its website.
The Advertising Standards Authority investigated after Procter & Gamble complained that the claim “friction free” was misleading because it was not possible to reduce friction to zero when shaving.
FFS had told the ASA that the phrase “friction free” referred to the ease of buying, but the body ruled that consumers are likely to think it was referring to the experience of using the razors and therefore expect FFS to offer a shave without negative results such as skin irritation and shaving rash.
The ASA said: “The ASA understood that Friction Free Shaving intended the claim “friction free” to be interpreted as a reference to the ease of use of their service and not as a literal statement about the efficacy of their products.
“However, we considered that, in the context of an ad for shaving products, consumers were likely to understand the claim “Friction Free Shaving” in the name of the company at the top of the home page and again in the claim “Join 30,000 women living life friction free” on the “About us” page as objective claims that Friction Free Shaving’s products would result in a shave which would be completely free from friction and without the negative aspects of shaving, such as irritation to the skin, shaving rash and cuts. We concluded that, because the ad claimed the advertiser’s products were able to shave completely without friction when that was not the case, the ad was misleading.”
The ruling came after the ASA’s investigative committee made the recommendation that the complaint should not be upheld. A spokeswoman for the ASA said its council made the final decision on whether to uphold a complaint.
FFS also pointed out that P&G had itself used the exact phrase “friction free shaving” in a Google search ad for Gillette.
A spokesperson for FFS said: “We’re extremely shocked and disappointed by this ruling, not least as it directly contradicts the ASA’s own investigative committee’s Draft Recommendation to the Council, which was that the complaint against us was NOT upheld.
“Friction free’ is a commonly used phrase by many companies to demonstrate how easy or stress-free something is. As the UK’s first shaving subscription business for women, we have always been proud and open about how we reduce the hassle and ‘friction’ of shaving for women, by delivering products straight to their home. We came up with the name ‘Friction Free Shaving’ with this in mind.
“We’re surprised that P&G have an issue with our name, as they have directly used the phrase ‘Friction Free Shaving’ as the headline in one of their recent Google adverts to promote their Gillette shaving products.
“As a young British start-up, which is injecting much needed choice into this tired category – all with a staff of just 20 people – we’re dismayed to be attacked in this way by such a large global company. In light of all this, we have now formally appealed the ruling to the Independent Reviewer Sir Hayden Philipps and we are awaiting his review of the case.
“In the meantime, we will refer to the brand only in its shorter format, FFS. This is how most consumers refer to us already, and it also rather neatly expresses our views on the situation.”
