Foodstuffs censured for mixing netball with liquor

Using the Silver Ferns in the same ad as one that included beer and wine specials has landed supermarket giant Foodstuffs in hot water. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Supermarket chain Foodstuffs has been found to be have breached advertising standards by using the Silver Ferns netball team in an ad for liquor.

The Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint about the ad for the company's New World supermarket which said: "Win a training session with the Silver Ferns. To win this great prize for your local school or club netball team, simply spend $25".

The ad was accompanied by the supermarket's latest specials, including for beer and wine.

The Authority found this breached the code for advertising liquor, which forbids references to young people's heroes or heroines in ads about alcohol.

In response, Foodstuffs issued a statement which said it was not a specific "liquor advertisement" but rather an ad for a competition, followed by examples of some of the specials at the supermarket.

"While the Silver Ferns are referred to in the advertisement it is clear that this reference is only in relation to the competition, and the Silver Ferns are not being used explicitly to promote alcohol sales."

The Authority also upheld a complaint against Tax Refunds.co.nz for stating that it was "New Zealand's largest tax agency" while providing no proof that this was the case.

In its defence, the website's lawyer said the company had been told verbally by the Inland Revenue Department that it was the largest company of its kind "by a considerable margin", however, it had no record of this.

The Authority found that this claim, in the absence of any proof, left it with no option but to rule that the statement was exaggerated and misleading.