Social media star KSI tells ASA that his references to JD Sports made it clear the video was from a TV ad. ASA argues it was not “made clear” and therefore breaches the rules.
KSI post gets banned
YouTuber and professional boxer KSI stirred up some trouble with authorities with his latest post which has now been edited. In the video, there were seen to be close-up shots of trainers as well as close-up shots of KSI (real name Olajide) as well as others in the video wearing the brand.
The video then ended with the logo and text reading “King of the Game,” a line that the influencer used in his caption on the IG post. KSI wrote:
“Head over to the @jdofficial YouTube channel to watch the full length film #kingofthegame” tagging JD Official and Adidas Originals on the post.
JD Sports responded to the video being removed and said the audience would have known it was an ad and therefore it did not need to be labeled as such.
ASA says it was not “made clear”
The influencer is contracted to upload ads for the sports retailer and the ad had gone through approvals before it was posted. KSI told the Advertising Standards Authority that he believed the references to JD Sports were clear to customers and that the video was an excerpt from a TV ad in which he had featured.
After the video received a complaint, KSI followed social media regulations for influencers and added #ad to clear things up or to “mitigate any risk of consumers being misled.”
The ASA said they well-received KSI’s “assurances” after the post had been edited, but stated that it was not “made clear” when the post was originally uploaded.
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