Here’s an ad from the Vignerons & Maisons of Champagne, instructing consumers that “Champagne only comes from Champagne, France.” Apparently, some American wineries are selling their sparkling white wines as “champagne” — and are allowed to do so — which irks their French competitors. It’s a nice campaign. But, it raises some questions: if conditioning consumers to use trademarks properly is truly important, and is truly effective, why don’t we see more ads like this one? Do consumers not need much help these days in avoiding the generic use of trademarks and making the proper use of certification marks? Or are such ads ineffective? Or are they just a low priority for trademark owners?
