ASA Penalises Accor Over Undisclosed Influencer Ad at The Savoy

Accor, the renowned hotel giant that includes The Savoy under its Fairmont brand, recently found itself in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The controversy arose when influencer Lydia Elise Millen shared an undisclosed advertorial TikTok post during her stay at The Savoy in London.

On November 24, 2022, Millen posted a video of herself in a dressing gown in a room at The Savoy, captioning the video with, "We've just checked into The Savoy in London for our annual Christmas shopping trip. This evening we're going to the theatre here at The Savoy, and I need you to help me pick my outfit." The video further showed her trying on two outfits and asking her followers to comment on their preferences.

The complaint

The ASA received three complaints questioning whether this post was evidently a marketing communication for The Savoy. Accor claimed that their ongoing commercial relationship with Millen was limited to advertising on Instagram under the "Fairmont Ambassadorship" banner. While her stay at the hotel was a part of this agreement, they argued that they had not commissioned any TikTok posts, thereby disassociating the video from any direct advertising for Fairmont or The Savoy.