Former The Apprentice star's adverts banned after implying product cures Covid-19

Revival Shots founded by Daniel Elahi had three adverts banned on Facebook and Instagram.

Three adverts which implied rehydration sachets could help cure coronavirus have been banned by the advertising watchdog.

Revival Shots founded by a former contestant of The Apprentice, Daniel Elahi were promoted as having the ability to boost immunity.

The product has now been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after the ads which appeared on social media.

Two Instagram adverts and one on Facebook were criticised after they implied that the brand’s rehydration powders had the ability to prevent, treat or cure diseases – including Covid-19.

The Facebook ad featured text stating vitamin C was being tested in the UK and China as a possible cure for the virus.

A caption accompanying the text said each sachet featured 500mg of vitamin C.

The ASA said: "We considered the ad therefore implied that consuming Revival Shots could, through their vitamin C content, help to cure Covid-19."

In a second advert on Instagram a review of a Revival Shot showed a user claiming their headache had stopped and their sore throat improved within just half an hour of drinking the soluble powder.

The ruling from the ASA said: “Given that the ad was posted in mid-April 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, referred to symptoms sometimes associated with Covid-19 and the reviewer's 'paranoia' about those symptoms, and included the hashtag '£staysafe' which was commonly associated with the pandemic, we considered consumers would understand that the claims in the review were intended to be understood to relate to Covid-19.

"We considered the ad therefore implied that Revival Shots could help to cure Covid-19. We considered that even if the ad was not taken to relate specifically to curing Covid-19 it nonetheless claimed that Revival Shots had cured a headache and sore throat."

Revival Shots have now said all three adverts have been removed.

The non-broadcast advertising code prohibits adverts which state or imply foods can prevent, treat or cure disease, which also includes supplements and drinks.

The ASA wrote: "Because Covid-19, headaches, and sore throats were medical conditions, we considered that ad (a) stated, and ad (b) implied, that Revival Shots could cure human disease."

The watchdog also found the company could not support claims that its product's vitamin C content could boost immunity.

"Revival Shots had not provided any evidence to demonstrate that their products contained any vitamin in amounts sufficient that they could use any of those authorised health claims in advertising for their products," the ASA ruling added.

"The ads must not appear again in the form complained about."

The watchdog has told the company to ensure adverts did not state or imply their products could prevent, treat or cure diseases, including Covid-19.

The ASA said the case was "fast-tracked" as part of its focus on "prioritising and tackling ads that exploit health-related anxieties during the crisis".

Mr Elahi said neither he nor Revival Shots had claimed the products could be used to treat or cure Covid-19, and that he did not change customer reviews when sharing their content. 

He added: "Since the outbreak of Covid-19 I have had many friends who have started their own initiatives to support people on the frontline. I have personally donated cash and thousands of sticks to these projects."