Huel advert banned over implied all-Huel diet claim

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advert for Huel meal-replacement shakes, finding that it encouraged irresponsible dietary practices and implied a health benefit linked to endurance performance. The ruling concerns the advert, not the products. [1]

The video appeared as a sponsored Instagram post and a YouTube pre-roll advert. In it, Huel brand ambassador Spencer Matthews told founder Julian Hearn about someone he said ate only Huel and won a 260km race. The ASA said the advert did not explicitly recommend replacing all conventional food, but suggested that doing so was nutritionally appropriate and compatible with exceptional physical performance. [1]

The regulator received four complaints about whether the advert was irresponsible; two also challenged its health claims. It upheld the health-claims complaint, finding that the anecdote implied a link between consuming Huel and exceptional endurance performance. The Instagram caption said Huel was not for every meal, and Hearn described eating a traditional meal at home. [1]