Posts Tagged ‘settlement’

Swirly goodness? Pinkberry not all good

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

I like Pinkberry’s marketing.

The chain of frozen confection stores based in New York and California speak in an engaging, human voice. Their branding is clean and simple, and they know that less is more.

But Pinkberry’s founder claimed less when there was more — more additives and more calories, to be precise.

And that, along with other false claims, has cost Pinkberry $750,000 in a class-action lawsuit settlement.

The claims against Pinkberry

  • Pinkberry is not “frozen yogurt.” California law requires a frozen yogurt product have its ingredients listed, to be mixed off-site, and be fermented a specific way. The company is now complying with these rules and claimed it was unaware of the laws.
  • Pinkberry is not “all-natural.” The product includes additives.
  • Pinkberry is not low-calorie. A half cup of the green tea flavored soft-serve dessert is 50 calories, while the smallest size is considerably larger than than that.

    • In the settlement, Pinkberry denied any wrongdoing. Except for a $5,000 award to plaintiff Lisa Sutton for bringing the suit, the money will go to Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Para Los Niños, a nonprofit that helps at-risk children and their families.

    So, did Pinkberry get its just desserts, or is this just another frivolous lawsuit?

    I’d love to hear what you think. Please comment below to weigh in.

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    Posted in branding, corporate responsibility, false advertising, message responsible, simplicity | 1 Comment »