Watchdog Bans Advert’s Claim eHarmony Is ‘Scientifically Proven’
Posted on January 3, 2018
THE GUARDIAN – Jan 4 – UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says eHarmony's billboard ad is misleading because the dating site cannot prove it provides a greater chance of finding lasting love. The offending advertisement said: "Step aside, fate. It’s time science had a go at love." It went on: "eHarmony's scientifically proven matching system decodes the mystery of compatibility and chemistry so you don't have to." "Phrases like 'scientifically proven' should be confined to claims that are just that, not used in crude puffery designed to lure in those longing for love," said Lord Lipsey, a former lay member of the ASA's council. eHarmony submitted copies of two published studies that reported higher levels of marital satisfaction for couples who met through eHarmony than any other offline or online methods. But the ASA found that the results of the studies did not justify using the words that were the subject of the complaint.
