Laser eye surgery advertising came under scrutiny by the Advertising Standards Agency in December with not one but two cases being ruled upon.
That said, there were just three complaints in total, two for a television advertisement for the Optical Express Group that referred to 'from only £395 per eye', a claim that was also repeated on a leaflet, with the complainants objecting that it was misleading as they were quoted much higher prices.
This case was not upheld as data was provided to show that the offer price was available to those with a relatively low prescription and the ASA believed individuals would appreciate the cost depended on their individual prescription.
However, Kirkwood Fyfe, a laser eye clinic and opticians of Aberdeen, fell foul of the ASA in a television advertisement that mentioned it could 'cater for all prescriptions, laser eye surgery including Wavefront technology', which the ASA said implied laser surgery was suitable for everyone.
The group countered that it offered contact lenses and spectacles from -24.00 to +12.00 spherical as well as being able to treat prescriptions outside that range. In this case, with just the one complaint, the assessment was upheld as the ASA felt the focus of the advertisement was on the laser business.
While advertising on price may seem the more likely cause of confusion, and we have an article this week giving opticians trading advice on pricing of sale goods, it is clear that your wording must not be open to interpretation. When it comes to vision, you clearly can't cater for everyone.