The National Advertising Division - a self-regulation board - asked Hill's, the maker of Science Diet dog & cat food, to modify their "Feeding is Believing" advertisement. This came from a challenge by one of their main competitors, P&G Pet Care.
Both ads focused on Angel, a dog and Othello a cat - both overweight, unhealthy strays - transforming to healthy pets after following the Science Diet feeding regimen.
The issue is that these ads and consumer testimonials are being interpreted by consumers to mean that the Science Diet products alone were responsible for the health transformations depicted. The ads didn't disclose other material facts, including the role of veterinary care. This ommission conveys the message that Science Diet puppy and kitten foods products wre solely responsible for the animals' entire health transformations - including, for example, ridding the animals of manage and fleas - a message that was not supported by the evidence in record.
The NAD recommended the advertiser modify the ad and testimonial to include a accurately reflect the other factors that contributed to Othello's transformation. They also recommended that the before and after photos of the animals disclose exactly the length of time it took the animals to reach a healthy weight.
Hill's, Inc. replied saying that they "strongly support the self-regulatory process, and it appreciates the diligence NAD has showing reviewing the matter. Accordingly, Hill's will take NAD's recommendations into account in its "Feeding is Believing" advertising.
To see the whole report go to http://www.nadreview.org/start.aspx and click on the 2nd report to open the pdf.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment