Alarm over brand symbol

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 11

Alarm over brand symbol

By

SARONA IOSEFA

The brand symbol of a skull and crossbones being used on a new line of boys’ toiletries is causing alarm because of its uncanny resemblance to the internationally accepted warning symbol for deadly poisons. Called Crossbones, the range has the skull and crossbones brand symbol printed on all containers, and is pharmacy-only products. Of greatest concern to the Health Department in Christchurch are the gimmicks being offered as extras with the new line, in particular, an empty canteen bottle with the symbol and “thirst quencher” on it, and a clear plastic container holding jellybeans. These caused some concern because children would associate food with poison, said a departmental senior health protection officer in Christchurch, Ms Karen Brooks. Ms Brooks said it was frustrating that the department could not legally stop this type of marketing. “It comes into the area of common-sense marketing, but this product is presenting a mixed message for children,” she said. “When the regulations were drawn up I don’t think anyone realised that anybody would dream of adopting this line of marketing,” Ms Brooks said. The department was concerned that the product was being marketed by chemists who advertised themselves as health professionals. “I would have thought they would have thought it over before deciding to market the line,” she said. The president of the Pharmacy Guild, Mr Jack Banks, said whether chemists decided to market the product was their choice, but he appreciated concern about the product. "It didn’t occur to me when I first saw the product that the symbol was a problem, but now that it has been pointed out I have to agree with the concern,” Mr Banks said. “It is the sort of thing people with children are usually aware of, but when your children have all grown up you tend to overlook that sort of thing. I saw it as a harmless fun thing.” He could not speak on behalf of the guild because indvidiuals stocked what they pleased.

The chief projects officer of the Consumers’ Institute, Mr Peter Sutton, said, “There is no point having regulations which say a symbol represents toxic substances and also use the same symbol to promote food.” The intstitute had received similar inquiries and complaints about sherbet for children that was packaged in pretend syringes, and pretend lighters with confectionery in them. The danger of children taking the “real thing” was always there, Mr Sutton said. Mr Peter Thorburn, the managing director of Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Holdings, Ltd, the group that markets the “Crossbones” range, said the line had the connotation of pirates and not poison. “To New Zealanders the skull and crossbones means pirates, not poisons,” Mr Thornburn said. Since the product reached the market in May about 80 per cent of pharmacies throughout New Zealand had accepted the range. Only one complaint had been received. Mr Thorburn conceded there,was a one-millionth chance that some child would associate the brand symbol with one on a poison container, but one has to think very laterally to come to such a conclusion. There was nothing used in the average household that depicted the skull and crossbones as a warning symbol. ’ “We are a health and pharmaceutical company and we have areas in all sorts of medicines so we have strong feelings towards our obligations and moral responsibilities to the public. “Of all people to know about poisons, surely the pharmacies should know what is dangerous and what isn’t.” His company would probably eliminate the crossbones from the jellybean bottle, and would change the concept of the flask, but the crossbones symbol would remain on the rest of the range. “We cannot realistically withdraw the entire range oh just one complaint. Commercially and logistically it is too late, but we will'look to modifying the jellybeancontainer and flask next year?’ ’Mr Thorburn said: ' 1