Richmond Ham naked man ad banned
Kerry Foods’ controversial TV advert for its Richmond Ham brand has been banned for the misleading claims it made about the product’s British origins but went unpunished for featuring a naked farmer despite hundreds of complaints.
The ‘As Nature Intended’ campaign attracted 370 complaints earlier this year, with the majority of objections claiming the scenes of a naked farmer singing about the ham were offensive and unsuitable for children.
Just ten people complained the advert’s strapline ‘Britain’s only ham made with 100 per cent natural ingredients’ was misleading.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), however, found the nudity “light-hearted” and not likely to upset children but upheld complaints that the advert was misleading because it is made in Ireland and not Britain as the strapline implied.
Kerry Foods welcomed the ruling, despite the ban, adding that it allows the Richmond brand to continue marketing the product as the only ham made from 100% natural ingredients currently available in the UK.
Additionally, it revealed that it would “think about” using the naked farmer in its campaigns for next year.
A spokeswoman for the manufacturer adds: “While we can’t use ‘Britain’s only ham’ in future marketing, it’s important that we can still use the word ‘only’ for now. It means we can continue to showcase that there are no other cooked hams currently available in the UK made from 100% natural ingredients in our marketing.”
The company says the attention the advert has received since it launched has lead to a double digit rise in awareness and consideration for the Richmond Ham range.
