Instant noodle ad war escalating

A clip advertising an instant noodle product with Tien Vua brand made by Masan Company was broadcast in the middle of the Universal Dance Step’s final several days ago, which has sparked a new war between Masan and Acecook, the two instant noodle producers.

Acecook Vietnam has lodged a complaint to the Competition Administration Department, saying that the ad clip of Masan showed the information which may cause misunderstanding about the quality of instant noodle products in general. The company has asked competent agencies to release a decision to stop the media campaign.

According to General Director of Acecook Vietnam, Kajiwara Junichi–the ad clip tries to send a note to consumers that only the noodles with light yellow color have high quality, while deep yellow noodles contain toxic substances.

Since Acecook’s noodles have deep yellow color, the producer has been queried continuously that if the products contain toxic substances.

The representative of Acecook Vietnam has affirmed that the color of products does not say about the quality of the products. The color of noodles is not only decided by the pigment, but also depends on the species, the duration and temperature at which the noodles are treated.

He also emphasized that Acecook Vietnam’s has the quality certificate granted by competent agencies which says that the products do not contain toxic substances.

Meanwhile, Masan has also lodged a complaint to competent agencies, saying that Acecook Vietnam conducted a behavior that “disrupts the operation of another business”.

The representative, in the talk with the press, did not comment about the content of the ad clip that has caused controversy. He only said that the case will be decided arbitrated by the state agencies.

To date, CAD still has not given the final official answer about the case. Meanwhile, in late June, the Department of Food Hygiene and Safety, the agency which licensed the ad clip, announced that it will instruct Masan to change some words in the ad clip in order to avoid misunderstandings to consumers.

This is not for the first time Masan met trouble with ad pieces. In 2010, another ad clip also caused a misunderstanding about the products of a rival, and the company was told to stop broadcasting the ad clip on television.
Commented about the ad clip, Nguyen Quang Anh, Account Manager of NEO, an ad firm, said that in principle, manufacturers can take all the measures which are not forbidden by the laws to compete with rivals. However, if their behaviors cannot get the sympathy from the society, or cause confusion, their behaviors would bring opposite effects, even though the behaviors do not violate the laws.

Lawyer Truong Thi Hoa thinks that one must not say products contain toxic substances if he cannot show verifiable authentication.

Hoang Dao Hiep, Indochina Marketing Director of Carlsberg, a well known beer brand, said that manufacturers should not directly compare their products with the products of rivals or defame competitors, when advertising their products.

“We will not become better if we defame others. A good ad product is the one which can focus on the differentiation of products or services,” he said.

The creative director of a big media company said that the ad pieces which raise worries in customers’ mind could bring effects quickly. However, it may happen that the ad pieces can cause a big trouble to the whole noodle industry in general, and to the company which posts the ad pieces. – VNexpress

Tags: Instant noodle