Advertising Standards Authority say influencer ‘misled’ public with photoshopped image

A complaint about a "misleading" makeup advertisement shared by Rosie Connolly has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI).

The complaint said that the blogger had photoshopped and filtered her face while advertising a Rimmel foundation. The image was shared on Connolly's Facebook and Instagram pages. The complainant stated that they found the ad to be "misleading" and that "people may purchase the Rimmel Foundation thinking they would achieve the same results." https://www.instagram.com/p/BkasHX9HQGm/?utm_source=ig_embed This is the first time that a complaint about an influencer or blogger has been upheld by the ASAI. Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the ASAI, said:

“The latest complaints bulletin from the ASAI illustrates our ability to handle complaints across a large number of mediums. This is the first time a complaint about an influencer / blogger has been adjudicated on by the Complaints Committee. "Over the past few years, we have spent considerable time highlighting awareness in relation to advertising best practice within this space to ensure all relevant parties are equipped with the knowledge and resources to correctly identify commercial marketing content across their platforms."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkdQg1JnOGA/?taken-by=rosieconxxx Twomey added that last year, the ASAI introduced guidance to ensure Irish consumers are not "misled by influencer marketing through online advertisements on blogs and social media websites." Connolly said that Rimmel approved the images and that the complaint should be addressed to them. The brand said that the post was "... not intended to mislead and they had removed it because it did not reflect their values as a brand." They have also said they will "strongly monitor" all paid posts in the future.