GOGGLEBOX and TikTok star George Baggs has had a vape advert banned from his social media page.
The 19-year-old influencer was promoting the fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes on his TikTok page to his 1.3 million followers, but the advert has since been pulled for breaking advertising rules.
Investigators stated he was promoting the e-cigarettes on a social media platform while under the legal age to do so.
Even though the law states 18-year-olds can smoke them, the legal age to promote vaping is 25.
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that George breached its guidelines by promoting the vapes. The advert was deleted and he has been banned from posting any clips showing him holding one.
He had been advertising the brand HQD Tech in June last year, and the ASA said it was also a problem as those who “did not follow his account” could still be exposed to the advertising, due to the way TikTok works.
The advert showed him in front of the camera holding the vape alongside the caption: “Matching my outfit with my new HQD v@pe.”
He then did a ‘get ready with me’ video, showing him getting dressed, and wrote: “Always get asked to do these sorta vids so here ya go :) #HQDVIP #uk #trending.”
The ASA said: “We told HQD Tech Ltd t/a HQD Tech UK and George Baggs that marketing communications with the direct or indirect effect of promoting nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components which were not licensed as medicines should not be made from a public TikTok account.
“We also told HDQ Tech that if advertising in media permitted, they must not show people who are, or seem to be, under 25 years of age, using e-cigarettes or playing a significant role.”
George has appeared on Channel 4’s Gogglebox with his family and has built his social media presence off the back of the show.
Contract agreements were looked at during the investigation and showed how HQD Tech stipulated the influencer would post about two new products on TikTok during a period of two months, between May 27 and July 30, 2022.
George’s brief stated the content was to be shot by Mr Baggs and showcase his “vaping experience” in a “light and fun” way, but said it would not be happening again.
HQD Tech have said they will enforce extra checks on all content from third parties and take extra steps to make sure younger audiences are not being targeted.
