Photo "somewhat unfortunate choice": Aldi Suisse angers Vaudois winegrowers
Aldi Suisse advertised foreign discount wine with a photo of a wine-growing region in Vaud. The action pisses off the winegrowers of Western Switzerland.
The approximately 800-hectare Lavaux winegrowing region - located between Lausanne and Vevey - has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. The local winegrowers are proud of their vineyard terraces above Lake Geneva. And were according to 20 minutes appropriately astonished when she saw her idyll in the last issue of the Aldi Weekthe weekly brochure of the discounter Aldi Suisse. The reason for the indignation: On the page where the photo is placed, it is not advertised for wine from Lavaux or at least from Switzerland, but for Italian cheap wine for 3.15 francs per bottle.
The use of the picturesque photo pisses off the local vintners insofar as they have already been struggling with competition from abroad for a long time due to price pressure, explains winegrower Alexandre Fischer to 20 minutes. The fact that Aldi uses the photo without asking to advertise wines from Italy is "completely out of line", unfair and also misleading the consumers.
SKS speaks of "perfidious advertising
Fischer's assessment is supported by the Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz (SKS). Director Sara Stalder speaks of "perfidious advertising" and of "misleading" customers. The prominent placement clearly suggests Switzerland. In order to determine the true origin of the wine shown, one has to look carefully - even if this is declared in the product description. According to Stalder, this is a case for the unfair competition commission (SLK).
As always, the latter does not provide any concrete assessments of cases that have not been officially objected to and examined. Spokesman Thomas Meier says to 20 minutes but that in the present case it had to be clarified whether the average consumer would be misled by the picture into believing that the offer was of Swiss wine. The overall impression is decisive. So far, no complaint has been filed.
"Somewhat unfortunate choice"
Asked by the newspaper about the objectionable use of the image, Aldi Suisse admits mistakes. The choice of image in connection with the two Italian wines was "somewhat unfortunate," says a spokesperson. The photo was intended as a symbolic image - this aspect will be better taken into account in the future. The intention was not to upset anyone. Apart from the advertising context, Aldi is also allowed to use the photo without restriction: It originated from a photo shoot in 2018 and the company holds the rights. Probably a small consolation for the local vintners.
