White Bull Milk Ad 'Not Racist' Says Watchdog
Complaints that a milk advert was racist because it showed a white bull getting "purer" by losing its black patches have been rejected.
Cravendale Ad deemed not to be racist
The Advertising Standards Authority's ruling comes after it received 11 complaints about the ad which has been shown on television and in magazines.
"The cows were intended as a visual metaphor for milk which underwent extra filtration processes," the advertising regulator said.
The watchdog believes viewers of the ad were unlikely to view them as racist so widespread offence was unlikely.
During the TV ad an angry, animated bull visits a milk bar and demands milk until he drinks every bottle.
The bull is sent down a chute where his patches are gradually removed as it passes signs that say "pure" and "purer" on the way to the Cravendale Purity Room.
The ad, which was put on YouTube, has attracted a lot of controversy.
YouTube user Majestic9 commented: "I think it is damn out of order, what are they trying to say? When the cow is all white that it is sane and when it has black spots on it, it's violent."
A spokesperson for Leeds-based Arla Foods Ltd, which makes Cravendale milk, said the ads were created to represent the milk's filtration process and were not meant to be racist. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fJhJnWizkQ]YouTube - New Cravendale TV Ad: Bad Bull[/ame]
Complaints that a milk advert was racist because it showed a white bull getting "purer" by losing its black patches have been rejected.
Cravendale Ad deemed not to be racist
The Advertising Standards Authority's ruling comes after it received 11 complaints about the ad which has been shown on television and in magazines.
"The cows were intended as a visual metaphor for milk which underwent extra filtration processes," the advertising regulator said.
The watchdog believes viewers of the ad were unlikely to view them as racist so widespread offence was unlikely.
During the TV ad an angry, animated bull visits a milk bar and demands milk until he drinks every bottle.
The bull is sent down a chute where his patches are gradually removed as it passes signs that say "pure" and "purer" on the way to the Cravendale Purity Room.
The ad, which was put on YouTube, has attracted a lot of controversy.
YouTube user Majestic9 commented: "I think it is damn out of order, what are they trying to say? When the cow is all white that it is sane and when it has black spots on it, it's violent."
A spokesperson for Leeds-based Arla Foods Ltd, which makes Cravendale milk, said the ads were created to represent the milk's filtration process and were not meant to be racist. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fJhJnWizkQ]YouTube - New Cravendale TV Ad: Bad Bull[/ame]
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