“June offer”. “Campaign!”. This is how Volvat advertised on Facebook and its own websites this month. The offer applied to cosmetic procedures at one of their many clinics in southern Norway. – Plays on people’s insecurities That Volvat has advertised fillers and injections, doctor, specialist in general medicine and author, Kari Løvendahl Mogstad, reacts strongly to. – This is a veiled and, in my opinion, cynical way of marketing. It plays on people’s insecurities. She has written the book “Kroppsklemma”, which, among other things, deals with body pressure among young people. She believes that everyone has a duty to improve the huge impact on children and young people, which causes them to struggle with their body image. – A large and serious healthcare player like Volvat should think seriously about how they contribute, she says. Doctor and author Kari Løvendahl Mogstad reacts to the fact that a large and serious player advertises fillers and injections in this way. Photo: Nikol Herec – A wrinkle is not a disease Mogstad reacts particularly to the use of the word “treat” in the campaign. – You don’t need to treat a wrinkle. It is not a disease. That use of words is just provocative, she says. At the same time, she understands that they are marketing exactly this: – It is a large industry with a lot of money, which they profit from, says Mogstad. The doctor clarifies that what individuals choose to do and spend money on is entirely up to them. – But I am critical of the actors pushing us such advertising whether we want it or not. A Facebook user picked up this advertisement from Volvat on Wednesday afternoon. Photo: Screenshot Facebook – Not okay The Norwegian Plastic Surgery Association also reacts. – I don’t think this is okay. This type of treatment should not be characterized by advertising and campaigns as we see here, says leader of the Norwegian Plastic Surgery Association, Lars Frich. Frich emphasizes that he is commenting on the specific Facebook ads news has sent, not Volvat’s marketing. – One should be more restrained when advertising such interventions, he believes. He believes a price reduction or campaign could be in conflict with the Medical Association’s ethical rules. It states, among other things: “Medical services must only be marketed on their own or as part of other health services. When marketing medical services, one must not offer additional benefits or the possibility of obtaining such benefits, for example in the form of discounts, gifts or free consultations”. – If this is outright illegal, the authorities may have to assess, says Frich, who is a senior doctor and specialist in general surgery and plastic surgery. Lars Frich in the Norwegian Plastic Surgery Association. In March, the rules for the commercial marketing of cosmetic procedures were tightened with a new regulation. – The regulations were changed so that it is now clear that not only surgical operations, but also injections with fillers and the like come under these regulations, Frich states. Volvat “lay flat” The Volvat group is the largest private healthcare company in Norway. They have private hospitals all over the country and offer a wide range of health services. The state also buys services from Volvat, among other things to avoid long queues at public hospitals. After news made contact, Volvat removed the discount offer on Wednesday evening. The company wrote to news: “When it comes to the campaign you refer to, we lie flat. Discounting for this type of service can seem unfortunate, and we do not want to contribute to that.” This afternoon, Volvat had a dialogue with its media agency, and they have now confirmed that the discount offer has been removed. “We apologize that this has expired, and appreciate that you have contacted us,” the company wrote. Furthermore, Volvat emphasizes that they have a “skin offering with a primary focus on medical skin. Cosmetic skin makes up a very small part of our business.” They write that their marketing is aimed at a mature audience, and it is managed through the segmentation tools that are available, including on Facebook. “We never use before/after images and have a focus on using images, words and expressions that do not build up under increased body pressure.” – Clear limits on how one can market – Advertising for cosmetic procedures with medical equipment, such as fillers for the lips, is legal. But there are clear limits to what kind of claims and remedies are allowed to be used, says senior advisor Helen Vikdal Thorbjørnsrud at the Norwegian Medicines Agency. They state in an e-mail to news that they “cannot handle cases in the media”, but that they will pass on the tip. – There is nothing concrete in the regulations for medical devices that define that the use of discounts and price reductions as part of marketing campaigns is illegal, writes the Norwegian Medicines Agency in the e-mail. Helen Vikdal Thorbjørnsrud in the Norwegian Medicines Agency. Photo: The Norwegian Medicines Agency In May, it became known that the Norwegian Health Authority, the Norwegian Medicines Agency and the Norwegian Consumer Protection Agency had had a joint inspection operation where they uncovered a large scale of marketing by cosmetic clinics. A total of 40 clinics received letters from one or more of the supervisory authorities stating that they had to rectify illegal advertising. Marketing of cosmetic procedures It is not permitted to market prescription drugs such as botulinum toxin (e.g. Botox, Azzalure, Vistabel). Advertising for cosmetic procedures with medical equipment, such as fillers for the lips, is legal. But there are limits to what kind of claims and remedies it is permissible to use. In marketing, for example, one cannot: show before and after images use negative nicknames for natural body variations fail to inform about possible risks with use appear pushy, offensive, lead to body pressure in children or create prejudice against normal body variations Children under the age of 18 have a special protection against marketing that plays on social insecurity, poor self-esteem or that contributes to body pressure. Marketing of cosmetic procedures will in many cases be illegal on platforms that are popular with children and young people. The younger children who can see the marketing, the more cautious there is reason to be. When marketing more extensive cosmetic procedures, it takes less for the marketing to be illegal. Source: Forbrukertilsynet.no
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Volvat removes advertising for cosmetic procedures after criticism – news Vestland
