Aubrey Plaza, USDA ad for Wood Milk leaves sour taste for nonprofit claiming it breaks law

Andre Lamar, Delaware News Journal

Updated May 26, 2023 at 5:53 PM·5 min read

A U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved ad featuring "White Lotus" star Aubrey Plaza that went viral last month has left a sour taste in the mouth of a nonprofit organization that filed a May 25 complaint they claim violates the law.

The complaint was filed to the USDA Office of Inspector General by the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

According to the complaint, MilkPEP campaign launched a "viral advertising campaign disparaging plant-based milks, in violation of laws forbidding federal agricultural promotions from depicting products in a negative light."

Here's what you need to know about this alleged spilling of the ... milk.

What's the Wood Milk ad starring Aubrey Plaza?

The fictitious Wood Milk product claims to be the latest and greatest beverage that's eco-friendly, artisanal, free-range.

“Wood milk started with a simple idea. I saw a tree and I asked myself, can I drink this?’’ says Plaza in the video where she’s seen forest bathing, dressed in her coziest woods-appropriate autumn fashions straight out of a lumberjack catalog.

At Wood Milk Orchards, “we grow our trees the old-fashioned way, right out of the ground,’’ Plaza assures the viewer.

Trees are tapped and wood is “squished into a slime that’s legal to sell,’’ the Delaware native entices.

The process “locks in the flavors like cherry, maple and, of course, mahogany,’’ she promises.

Near the end of the video, Plaza says, "Obviously, Wood Milk has zero nutritional value.”

So what's the point of the Wood Milk ad?

In the ad, the Delaware native was the latest spokesperson for the dairy industry’s “Got Milk?’’ campaign, and the spoof video was released on her Instagram in April.

The video was produced by MilkPEP campaign, according to AdWeek. (The acronym stands for Milk Processor Education Program.)

Not everyone is laughing at Wood Milk

Not all fans of Plaza laughed along with the Wood Milk spoof of plant-based milk.

Many of the star's followers took issue with the Wood Milk ad on the April 20 reel post on the star's Instagram account. Comments were later disabled, and those wanting to continue to voice displeasure at the pro-dairy industry promotion went on to post similar comments on at least one of Plaza's subsequent, unrelated posts. Most commenters cite animal rights or a concern for the impact of cows on climate change, or both.

“American Horror” actor Emma Roberts also was booed by folks for doing a paid promotional Instagram post of milk that she posted to her account March 29.

The milk controversies surrounding Plaza and Roberts were reported on by national publications ranging from Business Insider to Bon Appetit.

Why was a complaint filed against the USDA-backed ad?

The Physicians Committee claims creating a fake product named Wood Milk is a stand-in for plant-based milks and is also intended to create "backlash" against it.

The complaint continued, stating the ad paints the picture that plant-based milks are “fake” and they're “slime” that offers zero nutrition.

Aubrey Plaza smiles for a fan photo she and collaborator Dan Murphy appear at a book reading and signing for their "The Return of the Christmas Witch" at Rockwood Museum, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

The complaint added the Wood Milk advertising campaign violates the statutory prohibition against advertising that makes “false or unwarranted statements with respect to the attributes or use of any competing products'' and the regulatory prohibition against “unfair or deceptive acts or practices with respect to the quality, value or use of any competing product.”

Additionally, the nonprofit didn't like that dairy milk was referred to as “real milk,” while plant-based milks, collectively represented by the fictitious Wood Milk, were "fake" or had zero nutritional benefit.

The complaint stated that under Agricultural Marketing Service guidelines, the Wood Milk ad used claims that are "disparaging" because the words “real” and “fake” are “subjective, and the claim provides no factual information or data,” the Physicians Committee's complaint stated.

"These claims are also misleading," they added.

Who is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine?

According to a description of the group that appeared in their complaint, the Physicians Committee is a nonprofit that advocates for preventive medicine through proper nutrition, encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in medical research, and conducts clinical research on the relationships between food and disease.

The organization boasts nearly 1 million members and supporters, including 17,000 physicians, plus other medical professionals, scientists, and laypersons, the complaint stated.

Does plant-based milk offer zero nutrition?

The claims that plant milks have zero nutritional value and can’t be nutritious are "demonstrably false, as USDA itself has documented in its own regulations and nutrition guidance such as the statutorily mandated Dietary Guidelines for Americans," the complaint states.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, milk and plant-based milk alternatives can differ nutritionally. The Nutrition Facts label can help you make the best choices for you and your family.

What's next?

The Physicians Committee's demands are simple, according to their complaint.

This nonprofit seeks "immediate retraction of, and an investigation into the approval process for, this unlawful advertising campaign."

Tammy Paolino contributed to this report.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at [email protected]. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.