Butter advertising

Press, 2 September 1983, Page 12

Butter advertising

Sir,—l am astonished by the current advertising campaign for butter. It is extremely insulting because it depicts chemistry teachers as ogres, with no respect for nature. It insults manufacturers of butter substitutes, implying that the ingredients are unnatural; the product is inferior and unpalatable; and their products are no less injurious to our health than butter. Cardio-vascular organisations have for years expounded the fact that, in this category, it is the type of fats as well as the existence of fats that is of concern for our wellbeing. It insults the New Zealand public who are expected to accept this despicable advertising style. I have been extensively involved in purchasing for New Zealand manufacturers and have seen many sales techniques. Invariably, I have found that, if a promotion relies largely on belittling the competition, the promoted product has few virtues of its own and is often itself inferior. — Yours, etc., ROGER SEACH. August 31, 1983.