SNOWFLAKE vegans have a forced a supermarket chain to apologise for advertising meat and dairy during a plant-based cooking show.
UK supermarket giant Waitrose apologised for causing offence to the sensitive vegans after the ad appeared on the ITV channel.
Vegan viewers of ITV’s Living on the Veg hit out at the supermarket after its advert at the beginning and end of the episode featured animal products.
The 10-part series, which started last Sunday, is ITV’s first vegan cooking show.
Waitrose said it was “sorry for the sponsorship credits” and that it was not aware of the subject of the programme in advance.
A Waitrose & Partners spokesman said: “We’re sorry for the sponsorship credits used around this programme on Sunday – our credits top and tail a number of food shows on ITV and we didn’t know the subject of this one in advance.”
An ITV spokesman said: “Waitrose’s sponsorship with ITV is pegged around Sunday morning cookery programming, as opposed to the Living on the Veg show specifically.
“As such the brand idents are tailored around cookery themes, and absolutely no offence was intended.”
Upset viewers were shocked to discover the show was “sponsored by farm animals”. Matt Jackson said on Twitter: “Gotta love the vegan TV show on ITV London, adverts topped and tailed with chickens and cows – sponsored by Waitrose.
“You couldn’t make it up.”
Another described it as “awkward”, while Meg, a nurse and vegan, wrote that “a little thought around the programme advertising would’ve been nice”.
A third tweeted: “I am sure you can use images of plants, fruits and veggies to be more appropriate.”
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