Truth in Advertising

Truth in Advertising

How important do you think honesty is in advertising campaigns? In the bottled water industry, it’s becoming a must. According to Corporate Accountability International, PepsiCo Inc. will be including the words “public water source” on future bottles of Aquafina water as a concession to industry critics. In addition, Coca-Cola Co. says it also plans to start posting information online about the quality control tests it performs on Dasani water. Both Aquafina and Dasani are made from purified water sourced from public reservoirs, while waters like Danone’s Evian and Nestle’s Poland Spring are dubbed “spring waters” since they’re shipped from areas with cleaner water.

So how will this new truth in advertising affect the growth of the bottled water industry? John Sicher of Beverage Digest said the issue’s not likely to make a significant dent in the $15 billion industry. “Consumers have an affection for bottled water. It’s not an issue of taste or health; it’s about convenience,” said Sicher.
Posted by Kristin Edelhauser at 7/27/2007 4:15:00 PM