Oak Furniture Land misleading advertisement

[silverfox1961]

Question. When is 100% solid hardwood not 100% solid hardwood?

Answer. When it is sold by Oak Furniture Land.

 

Three ads for the furniture store, Oak Furniture Land, seen in May 2016:

 

A TV ad featured two characters who repeated the phrase "No veneer in 'ere" three times as they walked round a furniture store and appeared to examine different furniture.

 

While it is true that they did not use any veneer, they use a choice of words when describing their furniture.

 

AJ Proctor Builders Ltd, who understood that some of the advertiser’s furniture was made using an “oak wrap” technique, challenged whether the claims in ads (a) to ©, that the advertiser's products were made from solid hardwood and did not contain any veneer, were misleading.

 

OOPS!

 

https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2016/10/JB-Global-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_339625.aspx#.WAfBrST_qM8

[dx100uk]

Just because their name is oak furniture land

It doesn't mean its made of solid oak!!

But a variety of hard woods

 

Knew that all along

Its where our rainforests are all going

Into everyone's front room

[Mr.P]

Just because their name is oak furniture land

It doesn't mean its made of solid oak!!

But a variety of hard woods

 

Be careful when using the term "hardwood", as some are quite soft. For example, balsa wood is very light and also very soft, yet is considered a "hardwood". If Oak Furniture Land were to glue together an assortment of Willow, Poplar, and Balsa then wrap it with Oak, they would technically be correct in claiming it was 100% hardwood. But to call it "solid hardwood" would be misleading at best.

 

To my mind, in order to claim something is solid hardwood, it needs to be made from substantially singular pieces of timber, not glued up from small scraps.