Everyone knows pork is “The Other White Meat,” but is it the only other white meat? According to the National Pork Board, it is.
The board, which consists of members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, recently sent a “cease-and-desist” letter to ThinkGeek.com regarding an obviously fictitious product called ‘Radiant Farms Canned Unicorn Meat’ and the use of the slogan ‘Unicorn – the new white meat.’
Of course, consumers can’t purchase this product from ThinkGeek. It’s part of an April Fool’s joke the site concocted earlier this year.
“It was never our intention to cause a national crisis and misguide American citizens regarding the differences between the pig and the unicorn,” deadpanned Scott Kauffman, president and chief executive of Geeknet, the site’s parent company. “In fact, ThinkGeek’s canned unicorn meat is sparkly, a bit red and not approved by any government entity.” – via the Washington Post
The real question here is to what extent brands should go to in order to protect their identity. It is understandable that the National Pork Board wants to preserve their brand and all trademarked materials that are a part of that. . . .but, unicorn? Really?
Do you agree with the Board’s decision to take legal action or should they have stepped back and let this one slide due to the nature of the contested material? What does a story like this do their reputation?
Labels: April Fools Day, marketing premium food, National Pork Board, Premium Food, public relations, Stephan & Brady, ThinkGee.com, unicorn meat
