The UK is sending a sharp warning to fashion as three high‑profile ads from Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry have been banned for greenwashing, after regulators ruled that their “sustainable” marketing claims misled shoppers.
Why Nike Lacoste And Superdry Ads Were Pulled
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) examined paid Google search ads from Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry that used terms such as “sustainable materials,” “sustainable style,” and “sustainable clothing.” The watchdog found that the brands did not provide enough information to explain what made these products more sustainable, or how much of each item actually met higher environmental standards.
In its rulings, the ASA said the claims were too broad and absolute because they implied the products were inherently better for the environment across their life cycle, without supplying robust evidence. As a result, the regulator ordered that the ads “must not appear again” in their current form and told the brands that future sustainability claims must be clear, specific, and backed by a high level of substantiation.
Part Of A Wider UK Greenwashing Crackdown
The bans come as UK regulators step up their approach to misleading green marketing across sectors, including fashion. The ASA has been using tools such as AI to proactively scan online ads for environmental claims that may not match the underlying evidence, making it more likely that problematic campaigns are picked up quickly.
In parallel, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued guidance and warnings to at least 17 fashion brands about greenwashing risks and how consumer‑protection law applies to sustainability claims. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which took effect for consumer enforcement in 2025, the CMA can now impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover for certain breaches, including misleading environmental claims.
What Fashion Brands Must Do Differently
For fashion and sportswear brands, the Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry cases show that generic sustainability buzzwords are now a legal and commercial liability in the UK. Regulators expect brands to explain exactly what “sustainable” means in context—such as specifying recycled content with precise percentages, or clearly limiting claims to particular product lines instead of implying a blanket benefit.
Legal experts note that environmental claims need to be grounded in verifiable data, such as life‑cycle assessments, third‑party certifications, or detailed material disclosures, and that these details should be available to consumers at or near the point of advertising. For global brands, this means aligning marketing, e‑commerce copy, and paid search keywords with internal sustainability data, and training teams so that eco claims are checked as rigorously as financial statements.
Rising Expectations From Regulators And Shoppers
The crackdown also mirrors rising consumer expectations in Europe and beyond, where shoppers are more likely to question sweeping climate or sustainability promises from big brands. Authorities say part of the goal is to protect consumers from confusion and to ensure that genuinely responsible companies are not undermined by competitors using vague or exaggerated green messaging.
By acting against globally recognised names like Nike, Lacoste, and Superdry, the ASA and CMA are signalling that environmental claims must now be treated as serious, evidence‑backed statements—not soft marketing language. For the fashion industry, that means the line between bold sustainability storytelling and unlawful greenwashing is getting much sharper, and the cost of crossing it far higher.
