The Cleveland Bottled Water Party
That just doesn't have the ring of, "The Boston Tea Party", but it will have to do I supposed. The latest tempest in a water bottle, so to speak, is an advertisement for Fiji bottled water. Running in several national magazines, the ad reads, "The label says Fiji because it's not bottled in Cleveland". Which is catchy, I suppose. But it kind of ticked off Cleveland, as you might imagine.
CLEVELAND - It's Cleveland vs. Fiji in a war of water and words. Fiji Water, based in Los Angeles and a favorite of Hollywood celebrities, has angered Clevelanders with a new national advertisement that pokes fun at the city that's tried for decades to overcome a muddied reputation when it comes to h20.
"The label says Fiji because it's not bottled in Cleveland," says the full-page ad running in magazines such as Esquire.
After seeing the ad, public utilities director Julius Ciaccia ordered the bottled water tested.
The results: 6.31 micrograms of arsenic per liter in the Fiji bottle, said Cleveland water quality manager Maggie Rodgers. Cleveland tap water as well as bottled brands Aquafina, Dasani and Evian had no measurable arsenic.
"Before you take a cheap shot at somebody, know what you're talking about," said Cleveland water commissioner J. Christopher Nielson.
Fiji president Edward Cochran grew up near Cleveland. He said the ad was his idea and his hometown needs to lighten up.
"It is only a joke," he said. "We had to pick some town."
Cochran said Cleveland's tests were not independent and his company's analysis shows Fiji's arsenic levels never exceed 2 micrograms per liter.
Of course there is a bit of history regarding the Cuyahoga River which flows through Cleveland. This is from 1952:
But things have improved a bit since then. Still, I think Fiji hurt itself with the ad, given the arsenic levels the test indicated. Fiji and old lace, anyone?
By crosspatch, Thursday, 20 July , 2006 @ 10:21 am
I should create my own brand.
Cuyahoga Springs - Quality You Can See!
Shake Well - Some settling of contents may occur during shipment and storage.
Now available in Regular and Crunchy.
By Gaius, Thursday, 20 July , 2006 @ 10:26 am
Wouldn’t that be crunchy and extra-crunchy?