Friday, September 12, 2008

PG Tips, All Or Nothing?

I've started to notice recently that adverts on TV give a lot less of a crap about blatant lies. My favourite one is the advert for make-up, I can't remember what exactly (forgive my ignorance of cosmetic brands), but it's the typical lots of beautiful women, buy our stuff and you'll look like this, and then at the bottom very tiny in the "small" print", it flashes up a line for about two seconds that says "these images are digitally enhanced". So basically unless you can Photoshop yourself in real life, you are unlikely to ever look like these freaks of perfection that you see on the screen.

Anywho, another one that surprised me was an advert for PG Tips. It's got that guy Johnny Vegas and the little puppet being very funny and everything, and they talk about how PG Tips now get all their tea from "Rainforest Alliance" certified farms, which is a scheme that makes sure tea farmers are paid a fair wage etc. The only catch is, once again, the small print at the bottom. If you look carefully for a few seconds you will note that it says "At least 50% from Rainforest Alliance farms by 2010". Now is it just me or is "50% by 2010" not quite the same as "all now"? Some would even suggest the phrase "misleading advertising"!? Well I sent them an email with this question, but they have had 24 hours to reply and haven't done so so I'm going public.

This could be the scandal of the year people.

I was interested to note that on a recent PG Tips advert I saw on TV,
it talked about sustainability but the small print at the bottom said
"At least 50% of tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by
2010". On your website it states "By 2010, all the tea plantations
where PG tips buy their tea will be Rainforest Alliance Certified™".
So I wonder which figure you are really aiming for, "50%" of farms, or
"all" of them?
Advertising standards will be informed.

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