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Having received complaints regarding the Optical Express advert which was launched in September 2011, the optics company has had its knuckles figuratively rapped for claims which consumers and specialists alike didn't believe could be proved. The advert itself focused on the companies laser eye surgery treatment available in their stores across the UK.
The offending statement made by Optical Express, which has caused such complaints and the subsequent ruling, centres around a number of misleading figures presented by the eye specialists during a television advert in late 2011. In the commercial, Optical Express claimed that following laser eye surgery treatment with the company, 'over 99%' of patients were left with perfect, 20/20 vision. Complaints were made questioning whether this could be proved or not. Confusion then arose from two further sets of numbers, which the optics firm are eager to state are separate, one referring to 61,142 treatments and a further one claiming over one million laser eye surgeries worldwide. Optical Express state that the original 60,000+ number was in reference to the 99% claim, as opposed to the reference to 1,000,000+ or all patients as a whole. Just writing these numbers has me confused, and the governing body regarding advertising standards, the ASA, have also ruled against the claims made.
Following a little further digging, the ASA were also keen to rule against Optical Express when it became clear that the 61,142 patients that the advert referred to were not necessarily random, but in fact quite selective, with only patients within particular prescription and astigmatism ranges included within the sample data. With this in mind, a black cross was popped against the advert with the ASA not believing the sample data clearly represented all patients who had received the treatment. The agency also believed that the addition of 1 million+ patients also attempted to back up the unsubstantiated 'all patients' suggestion, again proving to mislead viewers. Having investigated the mysterious 61,000+ however, the Advertising Standards Agency were happy to conclude that out of those selected patients, 99% were indeed left with 20/20 vision having had correct eye surgery.