Company: Marston Thompson & Evershed plc
Breach: No
Final Decision: 19 November 1996
Considered under the 1st Edition of the Code
Complaint Summary
“The name ‘Mog’ is more likely to appeal to under 18s than adults through the use of an allusion to undder 18 culture. There is a series of children’s books entitled ‘Meg and Mog’. The stories are widely used in primary schools as part of reading schemes and depict the adventures of a cartoon witch called Meg and her cat Mog.”
Complainant
Great Grimsby Safer Cities
Decision
The company said that Mog is a generic name for a cat which is not specifically used by children. They said that the imagery used was firmly not targeted at the under 8 age group that is appropriate for the Meg and Mog characters.
The Panel did not find that the name Mog was more likely to appeal to under 18s and accepted that Mog is a widely used expression for a cat. The Panel compared the product label to a sample of Meg and Mog books and did not find any resemblance between the image on the label and the Mog character in the book. Additionally, they did not find that the label design was more likely to have a particular appeal to under 18s.
NOT UPHELD
Action by Company
None required.