Complaint number: 25/162 Appeal 25/018
Applicant: Advertiser
Advertiser: WUUL PRODUCTS NZ LIMITED
Advertisement: Wool.Life, Digital Marketing
Date: 11 December 2025
Outcome: Appeal Allowed, Complaint Not Upheld

SUMMARY

On 7 October 2025, the Complaints Board upheld a complaint about a Facebook advertisement for Wool.Life dog beds. The advertisement said: “New Zealand’s Most Sustainable Dog Bed… Recycled, Recyclable, and Built to Last”. The Complaints Board said the advertisement made unsubstantiated environmental claims and was misleading.

The Advertiser appealed the decision. A copy of the appeal application is in Appendix 5. The appeal application provided new evidence which included a table comparing the “sustainability attributes” of the Wool.Life dog bed with 14 other dog bed products.

The Chairperson of the Appeal Board considered the appeal application and ruled it had raised sufficient matters for the appeal to be accepted, the parties be provided the opportunity to comment, and the matter be referred to the Appeal Board. Full copies of these responses are in Appendices 6-9.

The Appeal Board carefully considered the original complaint, the advertisement, the responses from the Advertiser, the Complaints Board Decision, the Appeal Application, the responses from the Complainant about the Appeal, the subsequent responses from the Advertiser, and the relevant precedent decisions.

The Appeal Board took into account the context, generally prevailing community standards, the medium, audience, and the likely consumer takeout of the advertisement.

The Appeal Board said taking all factors into account, the new evidence provided sufficient substantiation for the environmental claim made in the advertisement.

The Appeal was Allowed, and the Complaint was Not Upheld.

Decision: Complaint Not Upheld, Appeal Allowed