NAD calls out SharkNinja’s “inaccurate” hair drying advertising claims amid heated hair device concerns in UK

11 Jul 2022 --- The US National Advertising Division (NAD) recommends that the distributor of home devices and appliances, SharkNinja Operating, modify or take down its 30 minute commercial featuring its Shark HyperAir hair dryer being compared “inaccurately” to the Dyson Supersonic and conventional hair dryers.

The competing Supersonic hair dryer producer, Dyson, disputed the claims. Both parties provide high-speed hair dryers with quick drying times and strong airflow.

This NAD warning comes simultaneously when the UK public is urged to stop using a heated hairbrush and dryer model amid safety concerns. The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) urges the public to stop using heated hair appliances that can catch fire when used as intended.

“OPSS is issuing this urgent warning to the public because we believe there is a real danger that these products will cause serious harm if used. The fact that they are still available for sale two years after the initial alert is a matter that we are investigating,” says Graham Russell, chief executive at OPSS.

A need for accuracy
NAD examined an initial advertisement comparison between the Shark HyperAir and the Dyson Supersonic and discovered that it implied that the Dyson Supersonic excludes attachments, whereas the Shark HyperAir does.

The advertisement also showcased, in order to achieve the same styling results as Shark HyperAir users, Dyson Supersonic users must use different styling equipment that risks damaging the hair with heat.

NAD noted the assertion that utilizing the Shark HyperAir will result in frizz-free or no-frizz hair is not supported.According to NAD, if Shark compares their product to the Dyson Supersonic, the comparison needs to be accurate. Therefore, NAD advised Shark to change the head-to-head comparison to avoid sending these messages because the records did not support them.

Shark’s product demonstration, according to NAD, communicated a message of convenience as well as a message of relative superiority to rival hair dryers.

Shark claims that the Shark HyperAir with the IQ Rotatable Styling Brush attachment can produce drying and styling results faster and easier than the Dyson Supersonic and the other methods listed were not supported by the facts, according to NAD.

NAD was also concerned that the use of Dyson Supersonic was not accurately represented.

Online marketplaces “lack” safety
OPSS notes that the device, which was initially advertised under the name “One Step model SM-5250,” was the subject of a Safety Gate notice that the UK reported in 2020, but OPSS has since found several models that are similar and currently being sold on online markets.

OPSS is also urging the public to stop using heated hair appliances that can catch fire when used as intended.The public is urged to verify the design of any heated hairbrushes they may have at home.

After testing models it recently bought from internet markets, OPSS discovered them to be non-compliant; several caught fire while being tested.

Unsupported claims
NAD notes that the phrase “Shark Intelligent IQ Stylers, can get you Saturday night hair every day of the week” may seem overstated. Still, when read in the context of the advertisement, which claims that only the Shark HyperAir can produce such an effect, it delivers a message of superior comparative performance.

According to NAD, the claim should be changed to avoid sending the notion that customers can only achieve the performance boost associated with Saturday night hair with the Shark HyperAir.

Additionally, NAD noted the testing provided by Shark does not support the assertion that utilizing the Shark HyperAir will result in frizz-free or no-frizz hair.

As a result, NAD advised the advertiser to stop making or change any claims that the Shark HyperAir produces “frizz-free” hair, as well as any claims for “no frizz” and “forget frizz.”

NAD also considered whether Shark’s infomercial implies that the Shark HyperAir can fix or undo heat damage but concluded that consumers are unlikely to view this message.

By Nicole Kerr