The crisp manufacturer ran an information campaign in the spring to trumpet the fact that a packet of Walkers Crisps contains less salt than before, using posters comparing a bag of crisps with a slice of white bread and sending out samples to thousands of households. The posters were created by AMV BBDO and the direct mailing by The Real Adventure.
The Advertising Standards Authority has decided the information provided with the sample packs misled consumers about the extent of the change and irresponsibly omitted information relating to young children.
The watchdog investigated after receiving complaints from seven people or organisations, including the pressure group Consensus Action on Salt and Health.
It agreed with two of Cash's objections about the sample pack. First, it failed to make clear that Walkers had reduced salt in only 12 out of 57 of its branded products. It used phrases such as "we have reduced the salt in our crisps" rather than referring to its main Walkers Crisps line.
Second, the pack referred to guideline daily amounts for adults and children aged over 11, but not for children under 11. The ASA said the mailing should have provided that information.
The watchdog had no problem with the claims made in the poster ad, which showed Gary Lineker holding a packet of Walkers in one head and a slice of white bread in the other. The poster read: "There's now as little salt in here... as there is in here."
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