Influencer Instagram posts in connection with Select Fashion were not obviously identifiable as marketing communications (31 March 2021)

A complaint was raised in respect of Instagram posts seen on the personal profiles of two influencers, Mandi and Anna Vakili. The posts promoted their fashion collection with Select Fashion. The complaint was made on the basis that the posts were not obviously identifiable as part of a commercial arrangement between Select and the Vakili sisters. The ASA agreed. It upheld the complaint and found that Select had enough control over the social media content posted by the influencers for the offending posts to constitute marketing communications. The posts were not clearly identifiable as such and were therefore in breach of the CAP Code.