THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS Authority for Ireland (ASAI) has dismissed a complaint about a Cadbury Creme Egg promotional campaign. 

The complaint about the Creme Egg Hunting Season was lodged by a woman who felt the advertisement campaign was encouraging people to take part in the promotion “as a matter of urgency”. 

The woman reported two Facebook posts relating to the Creme Egg Hunting Season campaign to the Authority. 

The first post featured an image of a takeaway hatch with people on their way up and down to the hatch to get their creme eggs. The text above the imagery read:

“Cadbury Dairy Milk. We’re on the hunt today in Kilkenny! Find us at Parade Plazza where you can pick up some gooey Creme Egg treats from our takeaway hatch for just €2.
#CremeEggHuntingSeason”. 

The ASAI said in its most recent complaints report the woman felt this post “was encouraging people to consume an unhealthy amount of the product”. 

The woman, who believed that “Easter time to be of particular appeal to children”, felt that the Creme Egg campaign was “irresponsible in content”. 

Creme Eggs with breakfast?

A second Facebook post alerted by the woman to the ASAI was accompanied by the Cadbury logo alongside an image of a toasted sandwich with a Cadbury Creme egg melting on top. The text above the image read:

“Cadbury Dairy Milk Creme Eggs with breakfast?! Goo on…#CremeEggHuntingSeason”. 

According to the ASAI, the woman felt that this post was “condoning poor nutritional habits and an unhealthy lifestyle to children.”

“She said to encourage the eating of Creme Eggs for breakfast for either adults or children was in her opinion unhealthy advice.”

In response to the complaints, Cadbury said that it “never marketed their products directly to children under the age of 16 and their promotional campaigns were always targeted at adults.”

In defence of the Creme Egg toastie, the advertisers said the image of the toastie was created in accordance with their internal nutritional guidelines which took portion control into account, alongside calorific energy and nutritional values, the ASAI said in its report.

“They said their post had never suggested replacing breakfast on a permanent basis with a Cadbury Creme Egg Toastie.”

“They said the intention of the post had been to provide inspiration for alternative recipes and ideas as to how the product could be consumed over Easter.”

According to the advertisers, each toastie had used no more than one Cadbury Creme Egg. 

Both complaints to the ASAI were not upheld.