Singapore’s renowned bubble tea chain, iTEA, has decided to remove a misleading advertisement that erroneously suggested its beverages, such as pearl milk tea, were zero-sugar and zero-calorie. The brand, boasting 47 outlets across the island, issued an apology, clarifying that the claim pertained to their new sugar substitute and was not intended to convey that their drinks were entirely calorie-free.
A spokesperson for the brand acknowledged the confusion caused by the advertisement, which had been displayed at 12 outlets since January 2024. The promotional poster featured three beverages – jasmine green tea, pearl milk tea, and matcha latte with azuki beans – accompanied by text proclaiming zero sugar, zero calories, and zero guilt applicable to all drinks.
Dr. Max Seah, a 35-year-old artificial intelligence professional, encountered the poster at the Bedok North Street 1 outlet on January 26, expressing skepticism about the accuracy of the claims. He criticized the marketing strategy, stating, “I thought it was bad marketing because it’s blatantly untrue that pearl milk tea and matcha latte can have zero calories.”
Consumers, perplexed by the Nutri-Grade ratings on the poster, questioned the seemingly contradictory information. For instance, the pearl milk tea was rated C with 0 per cent sugar, while the matcha latte with azuki beans was also rated C but with 4 per cent sugar.
Mrs. Sally Lee, a 50-year-old professional in the gas energy sector, raised concerns about the Nutri-Grade ratings, asking, “If the pearl milk tea has 0 per cent sugar, why is it rated C?”
Dr. Seah pointed out internal inconsistencies within the poster, emphasizing, “The funny thing is that on the Nutri-Grade label for azuki matcha latte, it says there is 4 per cent sugar. But it’s also saying zero sugar on the header text.”
Ms. Siti Khadijah, a 35-year-old professional in the social services sector, echoed the sentiment, stating, “There’s an incongruence between the header ‘zero calories’ and the images. The science and nutritional info doesn’t add up.”
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, iTEA’s senior area manager, Ms. Lau Jia Li, clarified that the advertisement aimed to promote their “zero-calorie zero-fat sugar substitute.” She emphasized that the zero calories referred to the sugar substitute, not the beverages themselves, and assured customers that there was no intention to mislead.
