Petfood manufacturer Pedigree said claims made in a TV ad for the Jumbone chew treat are "mere puffery," after a dog owner complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that his dogs consumed the treats in seconds.
The TV ad features a small dog gnawing on the Jumbone and giving up after it could not finish what the commercial called a "long-lasting chewy treat." The dog owner complained to the ASA, claiming his dogs took "under one minute" to finish off the bones.
In its response to the complaint, Pedigree said the man should not have believed the claim of the "lighthearted" ad, saying it was "mere puffery". In Pedigree's view, "long lasting" meant "several minutes." The ASA weighed the evidence and dismissed the consumer complaint, siding with Pedigree that its chewy dog treats lasted an average of about "three minutes and 21 seconds," which it considered long lasting, in comparison to softer treats.
