Sid the Slug

Sid the Slug is an advertising character employed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom as the face of the "Salt - Watch it" campaign to warn the public of the risks of excessive salt consumption.

The multimedia campaign, including advertising hoardings, television commercials and Internet coverage, was based on the premise that salt kills slugs, and can harm humans too. The campaign infuriated the Salt Manufacturers' Association (SMA), who complained to the Advertising Standards Authority [Salt Manufacturers' Association press release [http://www.saltsense.co.uk/releases/rel004.htm ‘Squash Slug’ Says Salt Industry] 20 September 2004] - their complaint being that the information presented was misleading. The Advertising Standards Authority did not uphold the SMA complaint in its adjudication. [ [http://www.asa.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/EFB31ED5-A00D-4AE7-8988-F69B20DF8C6D/0/Broadcast_rulings_20_April_05.pdf Broadcast Advertising Adjudications: 20 April 2005] (PDF)] .

The ASA had to deal with another complaint from a member of the public, that the use of the name "Sid" was offensive; this was also rejected, with the ASA instead arguing that most people would find it "humorous". [BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3736306.stm Salt advert complaint rejected] 12 October 2004]

A member of the public complained to the FSA that the Welsh subtitles in the ‘Sid the Slug’ TV advertisements meant the FSA was not treating English and Welsh equally, as is required by the FSA Welsh Language Scheme. The FSA replied that the animation could not have been dubbed into Welsh successfully, hence the subtitles. However, the FSA accepted that it had not complied with advertising conduct, as set by the Welsh Language Board. [Food Standards Agency [http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/complaints2004/5.pdf Complaints Received by the FSA in 2004 - 2005] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.salt.gov.uk/sids_game.html Sid the Slug game] from the Food Standards Agency
* [http://www.saltsense.co.uk/ Salt Manufacturers' Association]
* Salt Manufacturers' Association press release [http://www.saltsense.co.uk/releases/rel007.htm Sid the Slug slips up] 18 October 2004
* BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3674082.stm Salt firms complain over campaign] 20 September 2004
* BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3679994.stm Sid says salt stinks. Salt says same of Sid] 23 September 2004
* "Daily Telegraph" (Dr James Le Fanu) [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2004/10/04/hdoc03.xml In sickness and in health: take Sid the Slug's warning with a pinch of salt]
* News-Medical.Net article on the SMA's complaint [http://www.news-medical.net/?id=4941 Salt Association hits back at 'Sid the Slug' campaign]
* FSA [http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2004/oct/asa ASA throws out complaint against Agency] 12 October 2004
* FSA [http://www.food.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/2004/oct/adpr Complaint against Food Standards Agency ad campaign thrown out by ASA] 12 October 2004