Mercedes withdraws insultto British beef ad

09 July 1998

Mercedes withdraws ‘insult
to British beef’ ad

MERCEDES-BENZ has bowed to pressure and withdrawn a national newspaper advertisement after farmers claimed the company had insulted British beef.

The quarter-page advert appeared in a national newspaper on Tuesday, showing a T-bone steak under the Mercedes logo and the slogan: “One less thing to worry about.” T-bone steaks were struck off menus as part of the controversial beef-on-the-bone ban introduced last December.

Furious farmers besieged the National Farmers Unions switchboard in London and complained at the unions stand at the Royal Show, at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. Other beef producers telephoned Mercedes-Benzs Milton Keynes headquarters.

Mercedes apologised if offence was caused. It said the advert was produced by a British agency and it would not be running it again.

Germany is the main objector in Europe to the ending of the European Unions global export ban on British beef.

• The Daily Telegraph 09/07/98 page 10