A person had reported Arla Foods to the Advertising Ombudsman (Reklamombudsmannnen – RO) for misleading advertising. Earlier this summer RO decided to clear Arla, writes Atl.nu.
It was the red Arla cow that was the source of the complaint. According to the complainant, the advertisement is misleading. “Cows in Sweden do not have horns. To make someone believe that there are ’cute cows with horns’ on a single Arla farm, when reality is far from idyllic, is misleading. The advertisement gives the impression of a more humane treatment of animals than what corresponds with reality,” argued the complainant.
In response, Arla Foods emphasized that the cow does not claim to be realistic or contain statements that could mislead consumers. As evidence for their argument, Arla Foods pointed out the cow’s bright red color, its stilt-like legs, the absence of hooves, udders, and nostrils.
Arla also clarified to RO that cows indeed have horns and that many calves on Arla farms are born with horns, and that farmers are allowed to dehorn the animals according to Swedish animal protection laws.
RO’s decision earlier this summer rejected the notion that the advertisement is misleading, stating that the average consumer likely perceives the Arla cow as a brand and “does not associate it with whether Swedish dairy cows on Arla farms have horns or how the cows are treated.”
The red Arla cow, which has been used since the 1940s, is now used as a product brand for products made from Swedish milk.
Read the article in ATL HERE (for subscribers)