Lidl in hot water over detail of recent adverts after complaint from Aldi

A complaint made by Aldi about a recent Lidl advertising campaign has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority’s independent Complaints Council.

Aldi complained about an ad in which Lidl claimed to be Ireland's 'best value supermarket' on the grounds that it made it appear Lidl had been awarded that title through an official and independent competition. 

The ads appeared across multiple platforms, including social media and television, and displayed a rosette with the wording “Ireland’s Best Value Supermarket”. 

A footnote at the bottom of the press advertisement stated: “Comparison shop completed on the 06/01/2025. Pro rata price comparison based on supermarket own label where appropriate. Loyalty apps and schemes included. For more information visit lidl.ie/PriceIsAlwaysRight."

However, Aldi Stores Ireland Ltd objected to the advertising on the grounds that the advertising claim “Ireland’s Best Value Supermarket” implied the advertisers had been awarded through a competition or an independent award. They also said that nowhere in the advertisements had the claim been verified or substantiated.

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Lidl fired back and told the Council that the claim could be fully substantiated from Ireland RepTrak 2024 data. They provided the Executive with a copy of the relevant section of the RepTrak 2024 data confirming the ranking of retailers in Ireland in respect to “offers products and services that are a good value for the money."

RepTrak is a study based on the perceptions of over 5,000 members of the public. It measures the level of trust, respect, admiration and esteem the public has for 100 of the largest, most familiar and most important organisations in Ireland, alongside 100 other reputation, brand, purpose and ESG indicators.

Despite this, the Complaints Council upheld the complaint despite the fact that Lidl had subsequently amended the advertising material to refer to the RepTrak 2024 award.

The Council noted that the claim to be ‘Ireland’s Best Value Supermarket’ was based on the results of a reputational study in which respondents were asked to attribute the retailer they considered ‘offers products and services that are good value for the money’. The Council noted that the research was carried out by a third party and that brands could sign up to access and use the results of the reputational survey.

The Council considered that the study reflected the opinions and sentiment of the respondents.

While noting that the concept ‘value’ was not always linked to price, in this case, as the advertising included a reference to ‘Lidl’s Price is Always Right’ as well as to comparison shops, the Council considered that the ‘value’ claim related to price. They considered that to claim to be the best value in these circumstances would require detailed price comparisons across all competitors. They noted that such data had not been submitted to the ASA.

The Council also noted that the claim “Ireland’s Best Value Supermarket” had appeared on a rosette and that traditionally a rosette was something associated with a prize. The Council considered the consumer take out of the claim together with the use of the rosette, and they considered that a reasonable interpretation was that the claim was being made on foot of an award.

In the circumstances, they considered that the advertising was likely to mislead consumer and was therefore in breach of Sections 4.1, 4.4, 4.9 and 4.10 of the Code.

Lidl has been informed that the advertising should not appear in its current form again. The Council advised advertisers to ensure that appropriate substantiation was to hand for claims made.

This complaint came to light as the Advertising Standards Authority’s independent Complaints Council released its latest Complaints Bulletin which contains 10 case reports on complaints recently investigated by the organisation.

Nine cases were upheld in full. Advertisements across Radio, Social Media, Television and Online were found to be in breach of the Advertising Standards Authority Code on grounds related to Misleading, Environmental, Principles, Safety and Responsibility. The Complaints Council chose to not uphold one complaint.

The Complaints Council is a completely independent arm of the Advertising Standards Authority and is responsible for considering and adjudicating on complaints submitted by the public, by an organisation, by a Government Department, or any other person or body. The Council is made up of a range of experts from the advertising, media, education, consumer, and marketing sectors. 

Commenting on the latest Advertising Standards Authority rulings, Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, said: “The Advertising Standards Authority is committed to protecting consumers from advertising that is harmful, misleading, or offensive. Our latest complaints bulletin showcases the broad scope of our work in maintaining honesty, transparency, and integrity across Irish advertising.

"In addition to ensuring adherence to the Code, we actively promote its values throughout the industry. Our approach goes beyond addressing non-compliant advertising, we also focus on educating both consumers and advertisers. Through these efforts, we strive to build and sustain public trust in advertising.

"Additionally, to assist advertisers, we offer a free and confidential copy advice service, guiding them in creating responsible and compliant advertisements. This service provides invaluable guidance for advertisers, agencies and media that carry advertisements who may have questions or concerns about the compliance of marketing communications. We encourage anyone in the industry to take advantage of this resource to ensure their advertising is both responsible and effective."