Katjes gets dairy farmers on their toes
The Bavarian Farmers' Association has criticized the German confectionery company Katjes, which denounces factory farming with dark illustrations in its latest commercial. The association claims the depiction is one-sided and exaggerated. The company is fighting back.
The spot was penned by Berlin-based agency Antoni and promotes Katjes' latest product, "Chocjes," a vegan chocolate made from oat milk. The 20-second film shows hundreds of cows marching in lockstep into a large chocolate bar - a milking machine. The illustrations are by legendary illustrator Gerald Anthony Scarfe, who is widely known for his sometimes gritty illustrations and caricatures.
Like W&V writesAccording to critics, the video suggests that all dairies treat their animals in this way and that every milk consumer contributes to this exploitation. As a result, the German Advertising Council asked Katjes for a statement. The candy manufacturer has until Friday to respond to the Advertising Council.
However, the company has already publicly defended itself. How the Press portal reported that the company had discussed the Rhenish Post pointed out the critical conditions in animal husbandry. In the advertising, there would be a kitsching of the dairy industry, and they wanted to present a different side for once. This would not affect dairy farmers who do a good job.
According to a Message on Berlin.de the Council will decide after the statement on the part of Katjes whether the advertising violates the basic rules. In addition, the case was also given to the Wettbewerbszentrale, which will check whether the video violates competition law. (pd/swi)
