- Yorkshire Water Faces Backlash Over Misleading Promotional Video
- Use of Stock Footage Raises Accuracy Concerns
- Company Addresses Criticism and Plans to Release New Video
Yorkshire Water’s commercial movie was condemned for using stock footage of Herefordshire’s hills and a Russian bar.
The advertisement was intended to promote the water conservation campaign of the Bradford-based corporation.
However, viewers pointed out the inaccuracies on social media, with one user dubbing the advertisement “more Malvern than Malton.”
Yorkshire Water stated that it has since removed the advertisement from its channels.
Environmental activist Feargal Sharkey stated, “Once we get past the mild amusement of it all, it highlights the most serious issue, which is the cavalier, almost casual disregard that water companies like Yorkshire Water have for their customers.”
A Yorkshire Water representative stated, “We are aware that stock footage was used in the teaser video for our ‘word of mouth’ social media campaign, and we have since removed it from our channels.
However, we’re excited to announce that the first video in our series, featuring Harrogate residents and a small Harrogate business, will be released soon.
Recent criticism has been directed at Yorkshire Water for the quantity of effluent discharged into rivers and along coastlines.
In May, the CEO of the company apologised to consumers for the discharge of sewage into the region’s rivers.
CEO Nicola Shaw wrote to every family that the corporation would invest £180 million to eliminate storm overflow sewage breaches.
