Don’t ask me why a story about diet food for cats makes the news in Canada. It may have to do with the general obsession with cats that a part of the population exhibits in social media and in general conversation.
Not the same cat
This story involved an ad that for a cat food that was supposed to help reduce a feline’s weight. The ad showed a fat cat, and what looked like the same cat, only slimmer after eating the product.
Problem was it was not the same cat in both pictures, according to Advertising Standards Canada, the industry’s self-regulating body. Based on that, the body declared the ad to be misleading.
‘Ad is not misleading’
Mars Petcare had denied the ad was misleading. It acknowledged that two different cats were used, but told Advertising Standards Canada they were meant to “illustrate an amount of weight loss that could be reasonably expected, even if that difference was dramatized in the commercial by using two different cats that looked alike.” The company did not comment after the ruling to the contrary.
Ad is indeed found misleading
When an ad is found to be misleading, the advertiser is usually asked to amend or withdraw it. Cat lovers may rejoice. Others may be glad Advertising Standards Canada responds to complaints about misleading advertising.
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