Created and paid for by MilkPEP, the satirical “Wood Milk” campaign featuring actress Aubrey Plaza, has come under fire for severely violating federal health laws.
A parody of the iconic “Got Milk?” campaigns, the “Wood Milk” spot sees Aubrey Plaza hilariously playing herself as the founder of a fictional company that creates milk from trees.
“Is ‘Wood Milk’ real? Absolutely not. Only real milk is real,” concludes the actress at the end of the spot titled “Introducing Wood Milk: Aubrey Plaza’s Newest Product.”
While the campaign takes a clear (and controversial) stance against plant-based milk, it seems that the way it has publicized its opinions goes against the law.
According to The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “Wood Milk” goes against specific rules laid down by the USDA.
One is that the campaign featuring the Hollywood actress directly insinuates that any plant-based milk is not real or healthy for consumers. This directly goes against the USDA-approved health benefits of almond milk and soy milk.
Additionally, the campaign was released at the same time as the FDA’s draft on plant-based milk labeling was in its public comment period, and therefore open to change. As such, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine stated that the “Wood Milk” campaign was created with the aim of influencing the final FDA draft.
While MilkPEP has not yet publicly commented on the accusations, complaints against the campaign bring to light the potential consequences of satirical campaigns featuring high-profile celebrities.
