Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 4/30/18


Perdue Farms Inc. said Friday it will appeal the National Advertising Division’s (NAD) recommendation that the company modify or discontinue advertising of one of its organic chicken brands to make clear for consumers that not all of the chickens raised for the company are from organic farms.

NAD determined that broadcast and YouTube ads around Perdue’s Harvestland Organic brand “reasonably conveyed the message that all Perdue chickens are raised using organic farming methods.”

Tyson Foods Inc. raised the issue with NAD, an investigative unit of the ad industry’s self-regulation system that is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Tyson took issue with claims including that Perdue’s chickens are “happy.” NAD also considered whether the advertising implied that Perdue has changed the way that it raises all its chickens, that all Perdue chickens are raised “organically” or that all Perdue chickens are happy.

NAD noted in its decision that the television and YouTube commercials — “Free Range” and “All-Veggie Diet” — featured numerous visual and verbal general brand references to Perdue, but presented only momentary visual references to the sub-brand, Harvestland Organic.

Neither commercial called out the Harvestland Organic sub-brand by name, although the voiceovers in each “clearly” stated the general claim, “Perdue, raising more organic chickens than anyone in America,” NAD said.

NAD noted that Perdue defended the advertising by citing a consumer perception survey the company said demonstrates that the advertising was narrowly and truthfully tailored to Perdue’s Harvestland Organic line of products. However, NAD said the survey showed that substantially more respondents took away a message about the general Perdue brand.

Having also reviewed content on Perdue’s website, NAD found that the website content did not imply a claim that all of Perdue’s chickens are organic and accordingly did not recommend any modifications to the website.

NAD also noted that to the extent that all of Perdue’s chickens are 100 percent vegetarian-fed or raised without the use of antibiotics or have other general brand-applicable features, nothing in its decision prevents Perdue from promoting those qualities for all of its chickens.

Perdue issued a statement, saying “We are pleased that NAD rejected Tyson’s challenge to Perdue’s website. With regard to the commercial, Perdue does not believe any modification is needed, and is appealing this part of the decision within NAD. As the largest producer of organic chickens in the United States, Perdue is proud of its Harvestland Organic brand. Perdue also is committed to leading the industry in changing the way that chickens are raised, and will truthfully educate consumers about its continuing innovations.”

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