Kiwis counter-attack over ex-Pistol's ads

Reuters

MISFIRE: Johnny Rotten's fronting of Country Life butter ads lambasting Kiwi butter are barking up the wrong tree according to Federated Farmers.

Relevant offers

Agribusiness

Dog tucker a winner for K9 Dry spell shadow over payout Synlait investigates public float alternatives NZ Dairies: Russians backing us Cubicle dairy farms' fate may lie with Govt Fonterra upbeat about future prices Syndication group targets more South Island dairy properties Bid for funding rejected Juice maker in a squeeze Dairy farm prices tumble 25pc

Never mind the butter, it's the quality of the milk that counts. That's the message from New Zealand dairy farmers to former Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten.

Rotten, real name John Lydon, is fronting a campaign to sway British customers from New Zealand's Anchor butter in favour of a local brand, Dairy Crest's Country Life.

He is trying to set the record straight for the 39 per cent of Britons who believe the New Zealand-made brand is British.

The print ads feature an image of the singer under the headline "Anchor's from New Zealand". Underneath, it reads, "So, I buy Country Life 'cos I think it tastes best."

But New Zealand farmers say the reason Anchor sells so well is because it is made from milk produced by grass-fed cows, rather than the British grain-fed indoor cows.

"Our butter from New Zealand, because of the higher fat content and how we feed our animals, does have more flavour, so some people will prefer the flavour of the Anchor brand than the UK brand," Federated Farmers dairy chairman Lachlan McKenzie said.

He invited Lydon to come Down Under to see for himself the difference free-range cows make to the quality of butter and other dairy products.

Ashburton dairy farmer Willy Leferink said Kiwi cows were in a league of their own.

"Grazing outdoors on GM-free grass and natural winter feed makes for happy cows and fantastic quality milk.
"This milk is crafted into quality butter and other dairy products and the only thing holding us back in the UK is the European Union's ridiculous tariff barriers." New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, which owns Anchor, said it was not concerned by the campaign.

"It doesn't matter whether it's viewed as being British or New Zealand. I think the quality of the product is what counts most," shareholders' council chairman Blue Read said.

He thought the focus on the homegrown issue was wrong.

"You know we've proven time and time again that the air miles thing, or the export of product from New Zealand, is much less expensive than producing it in the UK," Read said.

"So I think they're barking up the wrong tree quite frankly."

Lydon has been heavily criticised among his former fans in Britain for his advertisements for Dairy Crest.
The latest is part of a series that began last October.

The pioneering punk rocker made his name as a foul-mouthed rebel in the 1970s. He is being widely castigated for selling out to the establishment.

- © Fairfax NZ News