Watchdog says meat adverts ‘unlikely to mislead the public’, after vegan complaints
23rd June 2021
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled in favour of the AHDB after complaints from vegan groups about its ‘We Are Balanced’ campaign.
AHDB’s £1.5 million We Are Balanced campaign targeted consumers who were considering reducing their meat and dairy intake, to remind them of the positive role of meat and dairy in a balanced diet.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) revealed it received a total of 485 complaints from individuals, organisations and businesses including The Vegan Society, Humane League UK, Compassion in World Farms UK, PETA, Four Paws and Viva!.
The Vegan Society said the adverts ‘sent the wrong message’ to those following or considering a plant-based diet. It claimed that the ‘To B12 or Not B12’ slogan ‘presented a false narrative’ that B12 can only be achieved by eating animal products.
Despite the complaints, the ASA ruled that the adverts did not breach its advertising code.
“We referred to the NHS Eatwell Guide, which defined government recommendations on eating healthy and achieving a balanced diet…..There was nothing in the ads to suggest that consumers should consume meat or dairy in proportions that went beyond NHS health and nutrition advice.”
“Overall, we considered that the ads would be understood by consumers to mean that essential nutrients required for humans could be obtained from meat and dairy foods as part of a healthy and balanced diet.”
AHDB’s campaign focused on three key messages: red meat and dairy as a source of vitamin B, Britain’s world-class production standards, and sustainability.
Results showed that post-campaign, six per cent more consumers in the target audience felt that red meat could be part of a healthy balanced diet; and nine per cent felt this way about dairy. There was an eight per cent increase in those seeing dairy as being produced in a natural and sustainable way, and a four per cent increase in seeing red meat as providing a range of vitamins and minerals.
AHDB’s chief officer for marketing and exports, Christine Watts, said after the campaign concluded: “At a time when people are thinking about new year diets and considering cutting out or cutting back on certain foods, it shows the impact of addressing the misinformation which is regularly served up to consumers about the role of red meat and dairy can play in the diet, and the environmental sustainability of our livestock production.
“Consumers want reassurance about their food choices and are looking for permission to continue eating the foods they enjoy as part of a healthy, balanced diet.”
AHDB will be taking its industry reputation campaign forward, with the next stage launched later this year.
