A sensationalist anti-dairy advert has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Fringe animal rights activist group Viva! produced a “hysterical” video that was set to play at cinemas later this year.
Titled “Dairy is scary”, the advert from the vegan charity runs for just over a minute, and shows a mother tucking her newborn into bed, only for a ghastly vampiric figure to appear the moment she turns the lights off.
When she flicks the switch once more, her baby is gone. “You can’t keep your baby because we want your milk” the sinister figure says with a smirk.
The footage then cuts to a penned calf, with the suggestion being made that it will be slaughtered for meat.
The Countryside Alliance condemned the advert, advocating for freedom of choice, respectful advertising, and encouraging dairy-loving cinema goers to support British farmers by treating themselves to an ice cream on future visits.
Thankfully, the horrendous advert has now been banned. The ASA said that the advert would be particularly distressing for viewers who had experienced the loss of a child.
They received 25 complaints, including one from the Dairy Council of Northern Ireland, that the advert was irresponsible, distressing (especially to people who had lost a child) and was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.
The benefits of dairy products in one’s diet are clear. The British Dietitians Association has stated that “for many people cutting milk and dairy out is likely to do more harm than good as they play an important role within a healthy balanced diet”, that “milk and dairy typically provide almost one third of our recommended calcium intakes”, and that “the main dietary source of B12 for vegetarians is dairy”. It is understandable, then, that many Britons should want to stick to dairy.
A new report has confirmed that cow’s milk is better for children than plant-based alternatives.
Experts on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (Cot) said that it was “preferable” for young children to consume whole or semi-skimmed cows’ milk.
They also warned that plant-based milks were not “nutritionally equivalent”, and that “there are potential nutritional and toxicological concerns related to plant-based drinks, and these particularly apply to children aged one to five years”.
Dairy consumption has recently experienced a resurgence, to the detriment of vegan brands such as Oatly. The company launched its vegan ice creams in 2019, but in 2023 announced it was withdrawing them from UK stores. Nestle and Innocent similarly withdrew plant-based alternatives from stores across the country.
The row comes at a time when people in the UK are turning away from veganism.
According to the survey by UK non-profit Eating Better, 19 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds in the UK actually increased their meat intake in 2024 (compared to 16 per cent who reduced their consumption).
The Countryside Alliance will continue to campaign for freedom of choice and for British dairy farmers, as well as the larger agricultural sector. As the evidence shows, the public are on side, and who can blame them? Dairy is not only healthier, it’s also tastier.