Lorna Jane was fined $5 million for falsely claiming that a particular line of their sports clothing would protect its customers against COVID-19.
Last July, Lorna Jane found itself in hot water after it launched its ‘LJ Shield exclusive technology’, which claimed to protect customers from “viruses and germs.”
The company’s ‘Anti-Virus Activewear’ was promoted as a protective technique against germs and infectious illnesses.
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The brand promoted the technology with slogans including: “Cure for the Spread of COVID-19? Lorna Jane Thinks So”. These slogans were pasted in-store, on its website, on Instagram, in emails, and in media releases.
“Odour causing bacteria, mold and infectious diseases like COVID-19 can remain on hard surfaces for up to 96 hours, but with our new fabric treatment, LJSHIELD, they cannot be transferred to your activewear,” one description of the clothing read.
At the time, Lorna Jane was slapped with three fines, totalling almost $40,000, from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which skewered the activewear brand for its advertising.
“Under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, any references to COVID-19 (and related terms) in the promotion of these types of goods are restricted representations,” the TGA said in a statement.
Then in December, it was announced the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) would take the company and its founder Lorna Jane Clarkson to court, arguing that its campaign was a breach of consumer law.
“We allege that the statements made by Lorna Jane gave the impression that the COVID-19 claims were based on scientific or technological evidence when this was not the case,” ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said.
And that brings us to today’s results.
According to Nine News, a judge described the brand’s marketing as “exploitative, predatory and potentially dangerous”.
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As well as the $5 million fine, the court has ordered Lorna Jane to publish corrective notices, and pay the ACCC’s costs.
Photo by Ian Waldie/Bloomberg via Getty Images