21.04.2025 09:43
A popular sportswear brand, New Balance, which is also a best-seller in Turkey, was fined for not providing information regarding the "pigskin" used in some of its shoe models. The Advertising Board of the Ministry of Trade imposed a fine of 1 million 730 thousand lira on NBI Giyim A.Ş. and ruled to halt misleading advertisements as well.
The Ministry of Trade Advertising Board imposed a million-lira fine on the sportswear brand New Balance for failing to inform that some models sold in Turkey contain pigskin.
MODELS SOLD ON THE WEBSITE UNDER SCRUTINY
According to the examinations conducted by the Board, it was determined that on New Balance's website with the "com.tr" extension, the shoes coded "W990GL6", "M2002RST", "U9060BLK", and "U991LG2" only used general terms such as "suede", "mesh", or "synthetic" in their product descriptions. However, it was found that the same products were described as containing "pigskin suede" on foreign websites.
EMPHASIS ON "RELIGIOUS SENSITIVITY"
In the assessment, it was emphasized that according to the relevant legislation, components that could mislead consumers or violate religious sensitivities must be clearly stated. Additionally, it was reminded that the company had previously been warned for a similar reason and administrative sanctions were applied.
DECEPTIVE ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE STOPPED
Accordingly, due to violations of the relevant articles, NBI Giyim A.Ş. was fined 1 million 730 thousand lira, and it was ruled that deceptive advertisements should also be stopped. The company had also been fined for this reason in August 2024.