Muller's 'Thank You Cows' campaign

[Hudsonv]

I first saw the poster version of this campaign at Liverpool Street station on Sunday and was so offended by it that I have written to the Advertising Standards Authority to complain about it. They have responded to say that they are looking into it.

If you would like to do the same, this is their website and you can make your complaint on-line:

http://www.asa.org.uk/

The website states that one of the grounds for complaint is that an advert is "Misleading, inappropriate or offensive".

I believe it is all three.

I have, in the past, complained to the ASA about an advertising campaign for a mobile phone company which I felt trivialised violence against women. A few other people also complained and it was very successful, with the ASA eventually deciding that the whole campaign could not run in any form.

I hope that that kind of success could be repeated again with this complaint and, if you have also found the campaign offensive, I would urge you to complain to the ASA. It is one of the few areas where citizens do seem to have some real power.

If this campaign were to be withdrawn, this could be one small step in Muller coming to realise that, in the sourcing of their dairy products, they must take animal welfare seriously.

Fingers crossed, this awful campaign might lead to better things in future.

[Purple]

There's a pun in there somewhere with muller.

Müllered?
Mürder Corner?

[Hudsonv]

Hi
I've read in some earlier posts people trying to work out when the ad is on TV before they can complain to the ASA - but this shouldn't be necessary as this seems to be a very big, cross-platform campaign running across TV, Cinema, Press and on the ground i.e. posters at tube / rail stations. Even if you only mention to the ASA that you have seen this as a poster somewhere, they will, by now be more than aware that this is just one part of a very big cross platform campaign. Best of luck.

[animal-crackers]

Thank you very much Hudsonv xx

[johnb]

I HATE THIS ADVERT

Someone should use the sound track and put it over images of the way the cows are really treated.

The Ben and Jerrys fairtrade advert is annoying me to. Claiming its fair for the cows, how can taking there calf away and stealing the milk ever be fair!!!

[loveganism]

I got a reply back from the ASA saying they'd had other complaints, but weren't going to take any action as they didn't think people would take it that seriously. Idiots. I wasn't suggesting that people were going to think that they were helping a cow become a horse. It was the 'dreams come true' and all the other crap that wound me up.

Ben & Jerry's irritate me too. Most of their ice-cream can't even be classified as vegetarian.

[Blueberry]

Even my twelve year old daughter spotetd the irony of this advertising campaign... it's disgusting.

[Hudsonv]

An update on this:



Like one of the posters above, I also got a reply back from the ASA regarding my compalaint about the Thank You Cows' campaign. They said they had recieved several compalints but felt that the campaign was 'unlikely to cause widespread offence'.



Depressing to note then yesterday that the ASA banned an ad by an icecream company Antonio Federici, which used the image of a pregnant nun and the words 'immaculate conception' in its campign.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11300552



The ASA said in its ruling: "We considered the use of a nun pregnant through immaculate conception was likely to be seen as a distortion and mockery of the beliefs of Roman Catholics. "We concluded that to use such an image in a lighthearted way to advertise ice cream was likely to cause serious offence to readers, particularly those who practised the Roman Catholic faith."


Strangely inconsistent thinking from the ASA, I'd say. The two cases seem pretty similar to me. Last time I checked there were about 5 million people practicing the Roman Catholic Faith in Britain and estimates of there being around 4 million vegetarians, possibly even more 'animal lovers' who might be offended by the Muller ad.


Seems somewhat unfair?

[Mollfie]

I corrected it.

"We considered the incorrect depiction of a dairy cow was likely to be seen as a distortion and mockery of the true circumstances. We concluded that to use such an image in a lighthearted way to advertise yoghurt was likely to cause serious offence to viewers, particularly those who practised veganism."

=/ hmmm?

[animal-crackers]

I got the same reply back from ASA too It is truly bizarre what ads they are happy to see run, and which they ban

[Flora]

Ok that is just one horrible commercial. By saying thank you they make it seem cows give us milk voluntary. And what is that thing about the cow running on the beach? The only reward cows get is getting killed if they don't have enough milk anymore. And that is not misleading?

We had some horrible commercial over here too from 'la vache qui rit ' well a commercial about cheese called ' the cow that laughs' can never be good of course but this had cows making cheese and having a party afterwards where they ate the cheese. And the song could be translated to something like: We are making la vache qui rit, so nice so nice so much fun. We love to mix the cheeses......if you see the red cow smiling it is mooing good and fun.

See it here yourselves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOhx1_hgGmw

I really hate this kind of brainwashing. They just make it seem like cows love it to get there calves taken away and that they want to give there milk away and even eat cheese themselves. And why do you see bulls as well?
I would like to complain as well. But they would probably say that these are cartoony animals anyway so you can't expect it to be a proper representation of the real life of cows. And the commercial is not on television any more as well

And then there was this commercial as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eq9l3KxPYA
'Come closer to nature with ecological milk from arla. Soft pure and good tasting. Because it is 100% natural. (Yeah it is so natural to drink milk from a cow) And it also gives you this feel good image of how cows life that is so far from the truth.

[lastx]

You have a point Flora. I wonder if it would do any good to complain to the ASA about the Mueller ad? Anyone have any thoughts?

[Flora]

Some people did. Read page 1 of this topic.