Tac Glasses TV ad ‘portrayed a disregard for safety’

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint about a TV ad for Tac Glasses. ASA’s complaints board said the ad was misleading and “portrayed a disregard for safety”.

The TV infomercial highlighted the features of the sunglasses, including the ability to block glare by holding them in front of a car windscreen. Despite this, the sunglasses come with instructions that they aren’t to be used for driving. Tac Glasses have Category 4 lenses which aren’t recommended for driving as the lenses are too dark to see clearly.

Advertiser Global Shop Direct told the ASA’s Complaints Board that the ad does not show a person wearing Tac Glasses whilst driving but shows the glasses being worn in a moving vehicle to demonstrate the feature of blocking glare. The company offered to add a disclaimer to the ad’s road scene and include a relevant FAQ question on its website.

The board ruled that the ad had not been prepared with a due sense of responsibility. It also ruled that the ad was portraying an unsafe practice by associating the glasses with driving into on-coming traffic when they aren’t fit for this purpose.

Consumer Test Content Team Leader James le Page also wasn’t impressed when he trialled these sunnies. Check out his review to find out why he doesn’t recommend them.