Fitness influencer and entrepreneur Grace Beverly has found herself in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after breaking British advertising rules with six posts promoting her activewear brand, Tala. The 27-year-old, who is best known for her large Instagram following and launching her viral workout app, Shreddy, shared two reels and four TikToks in October that the ASA has deemed as misleading advertising.
In the posts, Beverly can be seen promoting a coat from Tala with text that reads “give me less than a minute to tell you why this is the best coat the world has ever seen.” While Beverly and her team argued that her followers would be aware of her relationship with the activewear brand, the ASA disagreed and found that the posts breached rules that adverts must be obviously identifiable.
The watchdog received over 50 complaints about the posts not being clearly labelled as ads, leading to their ruling against Beverly. They stated that social media users who saw the post and didn’t follow Beverly would likely be unaware of her connection to the brand, emphasizing the importance of transparent advertising practices.
Despite Beverly’s claims that her followers would know that she and her brand are synonymous, the ASA pointed out that references to the brand were only made part-way through the video, requiring users to engage with the ads before they heard them. The influencer has been instructed to ensure compliance with the ASA’s rules by adding a #ad to any posts that include advertising in the future.
Formerly known as GraceFitUK, Beverly founded her activewear brand and workout app while studying at St Peter’s College, Oxford. She gained popularity on social media by sharing her workout and studying habits, eventually becoming a lifestyle and fitness influencer. In 2020, she was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Retail and Ecommerce list and hosts a weekly podcast called Working Hard, Hardly Working.
In addition to her activewear brand and workout app, Beverly recently launched a puffer coat collection that saw £1m in sales within the first hour of release. Priced at £129 per piece, the coats were a hit among her followers. She also expanded her business ventures by introducing The Productivity Method, a company that sells diaries designed to help individuals prioritize tasks and manage their success.
This ruling serves as a reminder to influencers and business owners alike about the importance of transparent advertising practices. As social media continues to play a significant role in marketing and brand promotion, it is crucial for influencers to clearly disclose any sponsored content to maintain trust and credibility with their audience. Grace Beverly’s case highlights the need for influencers to adhere to advertising regulations and ensure that their followers are aware of any commercial relationships.