“I drank Ayran and I fell asleep” – for one Turkish company the use of this slogan ended up costing them $75,701.

The tea company Caykur was fined by the Turkish Department of Trade after it had used the slogan in a TV commercial.

The Turkish newspaper “Hürriyet” writes that the company was fined by the state because it had “offended the yoghurt drink with no reason.” They allegedly transmitted a “bad message” which led people to drink less Ayran.

Since 2013 the yoghurt drink Ayran is Turkey’s official “national-drink”. The Islamic-conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants his citizens to drink more Ayran instead of alcoholic beverages, especially Turkey’s previous, and some would say real, national beverage Raki.

We already know that food or beverage companies have to be really careful with their slogans.

Just last year the Austrian energy drink company Red Bull had to settle a case for $13 million to prevent a class action. A man who had consumed the energy drink for years had sued the company 2013 because of its slogan „Red Bull gives you wings.“ But (miraculously enough) he hadn’t grow wings and didn’t feel more energetic.

So be careful what you say in your ads. 

What if

-things do not “better with Coke”

– 7up does not “Make 7up yours”
– or Dr. Pepper will not “Be you” ?