A TV commercial that parodies the hair-raising walk of shame scene from Game of Thrones has erupted into a legal dispute between a bottled water lobby group and the advertiser, carbonated drinks company SodaStream.
The tongue-in-cheek 'Shame or Glory' spot, which ridicules a man for buying plastic bottled water, could potentially land SodaStream in hot water over its claims plastic bottled water waste is damaging to the environment.
In a tersley-worded letter to SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) claims the ad makes "false, misleading and disparaging statements about bottled water".
These include environmental concerns about plastic bottle waste and SodaStream failing to criticise less-healthy sugary beverages, such as soft drinks and energy drinks. The IBWA also claims the drink company is "promoting the asserted superior quality, healthfulness, and environmental advantage of SodaStream’s carbonated water compared with sparkling bottled water".
AdNews couldn't find any reference in TV commercial that SodaStream carbonated drinks are of superior quality or a healthier choice than bottled water, but the ad does suggest plastic bottles are hurting "Mother Earth" (see below).
The US-based lobby group has demanded SodaStream "cease and desist" showing the video on YouTube, the internet and broadcast media.
"People should not be shamed for making smart and healthy beverage choices. Instead, they should be commended. Water is always the best and healthiest choice for hydration, whether from a bottle, a filter or the tap," IBWA president and general counsel Joseph K. Doss said.
"Unlike the strict government regulation for bottled water, water carbonation products such as SodaStream’s are, for the most part, unregulated.
"This leaves consumers particularly vulnerable to false, misleading and disparaging claims about the superiority of water produced by such products. The regulatory scheme related to the two products underscores the deception that SodaStream propagates when it implies that its product is superior to bottled water."
So far, SodaStream has poured cold water over the threats. In response, the Israeli company says "the hazard of the plastic bottle industry to our environment is well established".
“We will not let the IBWA’s threats stop us from trying to save the planet," Birnbaum said in a statement. "The IBWA, a front for major plastic manufactures like Nestlé -- the world's largest producer of bottled water -- is nothing more than an elite group of like-minded corporate sponsors who prioritise their own profits over the care of our planet.
"I don’t know what’s more offensive: the notion that a huge corporate organisation thinks it can silence a small company or that the message they want gagged is that plastic bottles represent a real threat to the environment."
SodaStream's 'Shame or Glory' campaign includes a feature length three-minute video and integrated social campaign. The video has been viewed nearly two million times on YouTube since its launch on the 14 November.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.