‘Hangover cure’ TikTok ad pulled by ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a TikTok advert for Hangcure Ltd which claimed that its product could cure the aftermath of a heavy drinking session.

The ad was posted by social media drinks influencer ManCave Bartender on his TikTok account, which has in excess of 630,000 followers, in November last year.

The TikTok showed ManCave Bartender using Hangcure, taking two capsules before drinking, with a voice over that declared he was “making the ultimate hangover cure”. An on-screen text caption read: “No need for crazy remedies anymore”. In the description was a TikTok shop link to purchase Hangcure Rebound, a 40 capsule pouch of which retails (if made as a one-time purchase) for £24.99.

Ingredients in Hangcure Rebound include (among others): Magnesium Citrate, N Acetyl Cysteine, L-Theanine, rosemary leaf extract, Ascorbic acid, Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate, Riboflavin 5 Phosphate, Thiamine Pyrophosphate, and Methylcobalamin.

The sponsored post was found to be in breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 15.6 and 15.6.2, which relate to claims concerning the benefits of food and food supplements.

“The ASA considered that a hangover and the symptoms associated with a hangover, such as nausea, dehydration, headache, vomiting and stomach upset, were adverse medical conditions, and as such, claims which stated or implied that a food or drink could prevent, treat or cure a hangover were prohibited under this rule,” a statement from the ASA explained.

The ASA also took issue with the product’s name, which “would be understood by consumers to be a shorthand for ‘hangover cure’”.

the drinks business has reached out to Hangcure and ManCave Bartender for comment on the matter.

“The ad must not appear again in the form complained of,” the statement concluded. “We told Hangcure Ltd not to make claims, which stated or implied a food or drink product could prevent, treat or cure hangovers, including in product and brand names.”