Banana industry to meet Wrigley’s over ad complaint
The Australian banana industry is meeting with chewing gum maker Wrigley’s today over a dispute regarding an advertisement for chewing gum.
The ad, promoting plaque-fighting gum, groups bananas in with sugary snacks – a link the industry is far from pleased with. As such, they filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Bureau and have even gone as far as to boycott chewing gum.
The banana industry has spent millions promoting the health benefits of their product and believe the Wrigley’s advertisement undermines their positioning as a healthy snack.
“There’s a band of extremely concerned banana growers, wholesalers and retailers who want to see this dispute resolved in a positive manner,” Australian Bananas marketing manager, David Chenu, reported. “That’s because for well over a decade the banana industry has committed significant funds and effort to educating Australians about the wonderful health and nutrition benefits of bananas only to be countered by a chewing gum ad that suggests bananas cause tooth decay.”
Wrigley’s has previously said the use of different products in their ad was not to highlight products that caused tooth decay but rather to show what the average person could consume during the day.
