Kerrygold released a press statement this morning parading its new slogan to attract new customers to the brand.
The slogan states, ‘Kerrygold, more spreadable than Ebola.” It is cashing in on the worldwide epidemic that has spread fear of the disease around the globe. The infectious disease is deadly but hard to contract unless you are in direct contact with a person’s vomit or faeces who is carrying the virus.
Kerrygold has misjudged the public’s reception of their new slogan as they have invested nearly €30 million in the advertising to promote the brand’s new tagline. Social media users have questioned the choice of words with many regarding the slogan as “disgusting” and “inappropriate”.
A spokesperson for the company told Oxygen.ie this morning that,
“While we appreciate that it might be a delicate subject matter, we felt there was no better time than now to show how spreadable our product is compared to other butters on the Irish market at the moment.”
“We do not feel we are cashing in on a global crisis, we feel that when life presents a crisis then we should turn it into an opportunity. This is not a case of corporate greed because our product is a public service, one that brings joy to families across the nation and the wider global community.”
Complaints have been filed to the Advertising Authority for Ireland and a statement is expected to come from the AAI this afternoon.