Warehouse ad violates food rule says board

A complaint that a Warehouse advertisement for a 1kg chocolate Easter egg encouraged children to eat excessive amounts of chocolate has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Complaints Board.

The advertisement, published in the Otago Daily Times in March, showed a photograph of a 13-year-old holding a boxed Easter egg, which was almost equal in size to her upper body.

The box was labelled "What a PIG" and "milk chocolate egg" and pictured an open-mouthed pig's head.

Beside the girl were the words: "What a Pig easter egg 1kg. You'll need a big appetite to get through this egg!"

The complainant, M. Maunsell, said the wording "implies the egg is to be eaten by one person instead of a group, which encourages excessive consumption of chocolate".

The complainant also said that judging from the proportions of the box, the advertisement was marketed towards young people.

The complaint noted that it was disappointing The Warehouse had used the ad despite a ruling made against it last year for a similar advertisement.

A spokesman for The Warehouse said the company did not believe any consumer would take the words "you'll need a big appetite to get through this" as literal.

"This product is one of our more popular lines as an affordable way for families to enjoy the Easter tradition of eating chocolate Easter eggs."

The company said the advertisement was different from the previous year's, as that had featured a child and this time it used an older 13-year-old.

The board said the advertisement had not fulfilled The Warehouse's commitment in last year's decision to use older children.

"This, in the complaints board's view, did not address the concerns raised in the previous decision, but was just a reiteration of a remedy suggested by the advertiser."

The advertisement also violated principles two and three of the Advertising of Food Code, which said all food advertisements, especially those directed at children, should be prepared with a high sense of social responsibility.

- NZPA