Banned, the oak furniture adverts that claimed firm never used veneer
TV adverts for a British furniture firm have been banned over ‘misleading’ claims that it does not use veneer.
Oak Furniture Land gives a ‘No veneer in ’ere’ pledge that all its cabinets are made from 100 per cent solid hardwood.
It says veneer, plywood and chipboard are ‘never used’. But it has emerged that it uses ‘oak wrap’ for products’ legs – which watchdogs said is a form of veneer.
The legs are made from gluing together small pieces of oak wrapped in a thin layer of the wood. Details of the technique were revealed following complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority that the UK’s largest retailer of hardwood furniture was misleading shoppers.
A TV ad featured characters saying ‘No veneer in ’ere’ in a furniture store. A similar YouTube clip stated the firm only sold ‘100 per cent solid hardwood furniture’.
And its website vowed: ‘All of our cabinet furniture is made from 100 per cent solid hardwood from top to toe; veneer, plywood and chipboard are never used.’
Banning the ads, ASA said: ‘While we acknowledged that the outer layer covered a higher quality base material than was the case with some other veneered furniture, we considered that the “oak wrap”, in effect, functioned as a veneer.’
It has banned the firm from running the promos again and said it must not ‘state or imply that products had “no veneer” or were made from “solid hardwood” if they were manufactured using the “oak wrap” technique or other similar techniques’.
But Oak Furniture Land said consumers would understand ‘no veneer’ meant products did not contain a layer of hardwood surrounding cheap chipboard or MDF.
Meanwhile the firm said it would appeal the ruling and challenge the decision, if necessary, in the courts. It insisted the ‘oak wrap’ technique was an industry-recognised cabinetry technique for joining pieces of solid hardwood. Bosses said it strengthened furniture by preventing it from expanding or contracting and reducing the chance of warping or splitting.
Chief operating officer Terry King said: ‘We are genuinely shocked and baffled at the ASA’s decision to challenge matters which are central to our advertising campaign.
‘We firmly stand by our promise that we use only 100 per cent solid hardwood in our furniture. The current language we use in our advertising is commonly and widely used across the retail industry, to help the consumer make a clear distinction between “solid”, “noveneer” products, and furniture made with poorer quality materials – covered with thin wood or manmade veneers.
‘Consequently, the ASA’s decision could have far-reaching implications for the furniture retail industry as a whole.’