UK anger puzzles Kiwi butter men

12 October 2001



UK anger puzzles Kiwi butter men

By Alistair Driver

THE company behind a 2 million advertising campaign for imported butter says it cannot understand why British farmers are upset by its billboards.

Adverts for Anchor butter from New Zealand show a herd of grazing cows.

One says: “Modern farming? We are 75 years behind, thank goodness.”

Another carries the line: “Call us old-fashioned, but shouldnt cows eat grass?” A similar theme is taken up in a series of television adverts.

New Zealand Milk, the company that distributes Anchor Butter in the UK, denied that the campaign was undermining British farmers.

Simon Tuckey, the companys managing director, said: “This is not a veiled attack. All we are talking about is the attributes of our butter.”

New Zealand Milk was demonstrating that Anchor is an old fashioned brand. It had already delayed the campaign because of foot-and-mouth.

Mr Tuckey added: “I can understand why British farmers are uptight about things but not about a campaign to promote traditional farming methods.”

But some British farmers maintain the adverts are a step too far.

Cheshire dairy farmer Chris Shaw said some New Zealand farming methods, such as tail-docking, were questionable.

Such practices would be banned in the UK, said Mr Shaw. “They are being cheeky because there is no way their welfare standards are up to ours.”

• No Union action over Kiwi butter ads, FWi, 8 October, 2001
• Farmers meet over Kiwi butter ads, FWi, 8 October, 2001
• Butter adverts upset British farmers, FWi, 5 October, 2001