Chobani’s Natural Greek Yogurt Ads Disparaged Rivals, Court Says

Consumers may not like how potassium sorbate sounds as a food ingredient, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe.

A court ordered Greek yogurt maker Chobani to stop an ad campaign that disparaged its rivals. AP Photo/Mike Groll

Chobani is doing its best to take the high road after a court ordered the company to stop its ad campaign that involved throwing its competitors’ products into containers that looked a lot like trash bins. 

In its national television campaign for Simply 100-Calorie Greek Yogurt, actors try the other yogurt brands and find them disgusting due to the fact they contain a food additive. A disparaging statement is then made about the food additive, which the court has now said is likely a “false comparative advertisement” under federal law. 

With more Americans saying natural ingredients are important to them, marketers are increasingly experimenting with how to appropriately highlight this fact.