Julia Bradbury, one of the Countryfile presenters
The producers of the BBC’s Countryfile programme have been rapped for allowing its presenters to give undue prominence to an outdoor brand.
Two presenters wore Rab jackets in editions of the programme broadcast in November and December last year.
Two people complained that the presenters were guilty of product placement, but the BBC Trust’s editorial standards committee dismissed the complaints as no payment or deal had been made by Derbyshire brand.
The committee did rule, however, that the clothing company had been given undue prominence, in breach of BBC guidelines.
The two complainants, who were not named, had their original grievances dismissed by the BBC so appealed to the trust.
The first suggested the Countryfile stars should be given BBC-branded clothing. The second person said: “It is not necessary to wear logos to obtain weather protection.
“The programme is unwittingly creating the perfect product placement for which a brand owner would pay handsomely.”
He said that Countryfile does not include glimpses of brands from time to time but ‘features branded clothing for extended periods in close up and features the same brand from programme to programme’.
The programme’s producers said it is a fact of life that most clothing of this kind is heavily branded, so in it is almost unavoidable that labelling will feature in shot at some point.
They said they did not agree most outdoor clothing is unbranded and in their experience the vast majority of brands are very readily identifiable, even those sold by budget retailers.
“This is particularly so with ‘high specification’ technical wear used in filming, which has to be suitable in a range of sometimes extreme conditions.”
They said they do aim to avoid the undue prominence of any particular brand or product and take every step to ensure that the programme conforms to the BBC guidelines if any is featured.
The producers told the committee: “Both presenters have confirmed, through their executive editor, that the outdoor clothing in question was bought or hired by them directly in accordance with BBC guidelines.
Rab Carrington, who founded the outdoor company in Sheffield before selling it nine years ago
“One of the presenters hires some of her clothing by agreement with the BBC specifically to ensure that no single brand or style features too frequently in any of the series in which she appears.
“Hired items of clothing are paid for at commercial rates. The presenters have confirmed that the clothing worn by them in the programmes was neither provided at low or no cost, nor was it subject to any agreement that the brand should be worn onscreen.
“The programme-making team accepts that it is unfortunate that two presenters should have chosen to wear the same brand of outerwear in the same programme, but given that this happened in November and December, during very cold weather, it was a question of coincidence rather than collusion.
“On each occasion the two presenters were working in different locations and with different directors, so it wasn’t until the final editing stage that the problem became apparent.”
The Trust said its committee noted the BBC’s explanation that it was coincidental that two presenters chose to wear the same brand of outerwear in the same programme and that it was also a coincidence that two presenters wore the same branded clothing in both programmes.
“The committee noted what the BBC said it had done to minimise any undue prominence issues by cutting away and limiting the branding,” it said.
“The committee agreed, however, that the wearing of the same visibly branded clothing by two of the programme’s presenters in the two editions of the programme which are the subject of this appeal did amount to undue prominence which gave the impression that the programmes were promoting or endorsing these products.
“The committee concluded that in these programmes the cumulative effect was that the branded clothing was unduly prominent and amounted to a breach of the guidelines covering product prominence.”
Former British Mountaineering Council president Rab Carrington founded the company in Sheffield to produce clothing and sleeping bags.
He sold the company in 2004 and the brand is now owned by Equip Outdoor Technologies, based near Alfreton.
Andrew Bowden
31 July 2013Unbranded outdoor clothing? Perhaps if you buy everything from M&S maybe. Presumably the complainant does little more outdoor than shuffle around their local park!
So now because of some ill-informed person, programme makers on Countryfile will no doubt end up having to fill in a "brand on jacket" compliance form when they're making programmes. Bonkers.
Danny Carr
31 July 2013Ridiculous, some people have got far too much time on their hands to even notice this.
How much money was wasted conducting this pernickety investigation I wonder?
Steve Boulton
31 July 2013Oh for crying out loud, haven't folk got better things to do than watch TV and count the number of times logo x appears? What does it matter what the presenters of Countryfile wear? They are outdoors. Rab make outdoor clothing. Why the hell shouldn't they wear Rab gear? If you're the kind of person who is influenced in your purchases of outdoor equipment by the number of times you see a brand logo on a TV show then I think that's almost as tragic as complaining to the BBC trust about it. The Rab brand folk must be loving this, it's generating more publicity for them in one fell swoope (sic) than would a prominent marketing campaign. I wonder if the complainants can see the irony? And now the story has appeared on grough too. Maybe the complainants will complain to grough that writing about their complaint has generated too much publicity for Rab and, as a result, disappear in a puff of existentialist smoke. Let's hope so, eh?
Roger Kinder
31 July 2013Makes we wonder who the two complainants were. Bergause n North Face!!
Graeme Robb
31 July 2013My complaint would be that we spend too much time looking at the presenters rather than the countryside. Do we need to see them looking at the view, do we need to see them nodding their head while talking to someone. Certainly not, and how often do we get a nausiating long distance shot with the presenter stationary in the middle and the glorious scenery whizzing by so fast you can't see it.
Mr P Dolan
31 July 2013Thank you very much to whoever made these complaints as I was not even slightly interested in the brand they wore until now.
But I will now be looking up the brand, so you have achieved more advertising than countryfile did in the first place.
Aggi Poulter
31 July 2013I'm afraid I agree with the complaints - not for the lack of balance in product placing, but for there being brands on the front of clothes at all on the BBC. It's annoyingly commercial, and you can't help but wonder...
It's no hardship, surely, to just pick off or cover the offending logo, so presenters can still wear their favourite clothes without this blatant advertising staring the viewer in the face all the time.
Peter J Cook FRGS London
01 August 2013Has anyone complained about Adam when he wears his Paramo smocks for the past 8 years>>>>>!!??
alwyn tolson
01 August 2013I agree that it is product placement but the tv companies can smudge over anything they consider offensive & so on by visual means, so that is what they should do
walkerboy
01 August 2013Most BBC news reporters seem to wear a lot of Berghaus clothing! So they can't complain.
TH
01 August 2013“This is particularly so with ‘high specification’ technical wear used in filming, which has to be suitable in a range of sometimes extreme conditions.”
What rubbish - in temperatures of about minus 2C they usually wear a jacket suitable for Everest summit then couple it with fashion jeans.
Baker and Bradbury are the worst two - look like fashion victims.
Gerald
01 August 2013Didn't hear any complaints when Mammut gear was being worn buy both presenters during a lot of last years programmes
And as someone else commented I have not heard any complaints about Adam wearing Paramo gear a large number of times
Bob Mahon
01 August 2013Incredible!
I agree with walkerboy's comment (is this due to watching Look North??) - plenty of Berghaus kit on show here in the Norh East of England. Other areas often seem to favour North Face.
As I understand it, BBC presenters simply buy kit for themselves.
If all brands get a fare share of the display it all cancels out!
Avid Outdoors
01 August 2013Shouldn't we encourage people to wear adequate and proper kit when venturing into the wild outdoors? And as for unpicking the logo "It's no hardship, surely, to just pick off or cover the offending logo - Aggi Poulter," - what a load of tosh, you try it without ruining the product.
As others have stated - some have too much time to analyse such minor issues. Surely its the countryside they ought to be interested in not the presenters?? If they're offended - switch off! Simple.
PeakD
06 August 2013Crikey. We all felt quite strongly about this didn't we?!
Frazer Irwin
24 August 2013I notice none mention Barbour. Possibly because some have never had to work in environments hostile to City folk. I have an original Barbour Northumbria getting on for thirty years old. The one with wool lining and weighing in at half a stone. Would trust that with my life. Many in the past have. Likewise many have been front of house on TV. This is as bad as folk coming ill prepared to the countryside.