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Brita Commercials
Background
CWWA and other organizations correspondence and positions
regarding denigrating advertising
The Canadian Water and Wastewater
Association (CWWA) has been made aware by several of its
members that an advertisement produced by Brita Filters
has been running on Global Television and other networks.
The advertisement denigrates the quality of municipal drinking
water supplies.
It shows a woman in the kitchen with a glass of water on
the table. She leaves the room and you hear a toilet flushing.
As the toilet flushes the water in the glass drains away.
As she comes back into the kitchen the glass fills again.
The announcer comments that the water for flushing is the
same as for drinking and ask the question "don't you
deserve better quality to drink?" So buy a Brita unit,
etc.
CWWA is highly concerned by such commercial propaganda
with a degrading intent toward municipal drinking water
supplies, which create a serious negative impact on municipal
residents' perspective and their trust in municipal water
systems and services.
CWWA has written to Brita, Global Television, the CRTC
and others appropriate agencies protesting the negative
nature of the advertisement, and commenting that unlike
drinking water treatment units, municipal water supplies
are tightly regulated and inspected and must meet drinking
water standards established by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial
Committee on Drinking Water and imposed by the provincial
and territorial governments.
CWWA has also filed an official complaint with Advertising
Standards Canada and sent Letters from CWWA to all the provincial
Ministers responsible for consumer protection and advertising
and Ministers responsible for drinking water quality. It
draws to their attention this advertising campaign and particularly
for the former, a request for assistance in getting the
advertisements and commercials withdrawn.
The original letter did solicit a change to the commercial
- the addition of text reading: "Substances removed
may not be in all users' water."
However, the commercial now advises viewers to visit the
website: www.youdeservebetter.ca
- which reiterates the message that all water from taps
and toilets comes from the same source. The website provides
visitors with water facts, when certain household objects
are clicked on - for example clicking on a portrait of "grandpa"
provides the following text: "You deserve better water
than you use on your lawn"
Correspondence and Position
CWWA
April
26 - CWWA Letter sent to Mr. Robert Rizzo, Business Team
Leader, Brita Canada Corporation
May
2 - Brita Canada Response Letter to CWWA
May
2 - CWWA Letter to Mr. Robert W. Matschullat, Presiding
Director, The Clorox Company
May 12
- CWWA Letter to Advertising Standards Canada
May 17
- CWWA Letter sent to Mr. Robert Rizzo, Business Team Leader,
Brita Canada
May
17 - CWWA Letter to provincial ministers of Consumer Affairs
May
24 - Brita Canada Response Letter to CWWA
June
23 - The Clorox Company Response Letter to CWWA
Other Organizations and Utilities
May 9 - OWWA Letter sent to Mr. Robert Rizzo, Business Team Leader, Brita Canada
May
11 - Vancouver Coastal Health, letter sent to Mr. Robert
Rizzo
May
12 - CWQA Letter sent to Mr. Robert Rizzo, Business Team
Leader, Brita Canada
May
17 - Brita Canada Response Letter to OWWA
May
31 - CWQA Letter sent to Mr. Robert Rizzo, Business Team
Leader, Brita Canada
City
of Toronto - Only Tap Water Delivers
AWWA
AWWA
- Public Affairs Advisory
April
28 - AWWA letter to Brita Canada
May
15 - AWWA letter to Brita Canada
References
Competition Act
Canadian Consumer Handbook 2006 - Consumer Tips on Misleading Advertising
Advertising Standards Canada - Code of Advertising Standards
Canadian Marketing Association - Code of Ethics
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