A fish smokery is in unsteady waters after its logo was accused of allegedly misleading customers. While the brand boasts an official warrant from King Charles, it goes to show that even a royal stamp of approval can't always protect you from a logo dispute.
The best logos are often simple and concise, and while Severn & Wye Smokery follows this formula, its stripped-back design has inevitably become a detriment to the brand. With critics claiming the design is allegedly selling a false message, it brings into question how literally audiences interpret logo design.
The logo in question features the simple silhouette of a fly fisherman casting their line. Appearing next to the official royal warrant logo, the design has a simple, luxe feel that looks fit for a king, with text that informs "Severn & Wye Smokery is situated on the edge of the Royal Forest of Dean between two of England’s most celebrated salmon rivers. It is here that we practice the old-fashioned art of smoking only the highest quality fish and meat.”
So why are critics so against it? According to the director of the campaign group Scottish Salmon Watch, Don Staniford, the fly-fisher emblem paired with the text could suggest that customers are buying wild-caught salmon, rather than the farmed produce of Severn & Wye Smokery.
Reaching out to the advertising watchdog, Staniford claimed the logo and text were “likely to mislead consumers into thinking their salmon is wild-caught from the Rivers Severn or Wye”, spinning “a strong impression of wild provenance and traditional river fishing, which is not the case”.
Speaking to The Times, Severn & Wye Smokery countered, "The logo, which is a silhouette of the owner’s father based on a photo taken of him fly-fishing, is not likely to mislead in the manner suggested." Addressing the labelling, which states the product is “farmed in Norway, Scotland, Iceland or Faroe Islands,” the smokery attested that “the consumer is in no doubt that the salmon has been farmed and therefore cannot have been misled as to the source of the actual fish”.
Staniford filed complaints with Trading Standards, the Advertising Standards Authority, and the Competition and Markets Authority. As of the time of writing, it's unclear whether further action will be taken to address the allegations.
For more logo news, take a look at Meghan Markle's logo design dispute with an unexpected opponent or check out how Amazon was slammed by a judge in a 'landmark' logo dispute ruling.
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