Shonkys: the award that no company wants

funnybird

Paul Tatnell October 26, 2010 - 11:41AM

Australia's biggest brands have been named and shamed in the 2010 Shonky Awards, which recognise the "shonkiest, meanest and silliest rip-offs and scams".

The Shonkys - handed out by consumer group Choice - "awarded" eight companies and products this year, warning consumers they need to be "as vigilant as ever".
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Winners this year include supermarket giant Coles, the Commonwealth Bank, Nurofen, LG, wristband "sporting aid" Power Balance, outdoor recreational rope producer Medalist, website babynamemeans.com and a selection of olive oil brands.

Possibly the most controversial product in this year's awards is Medalist's rope, which was found to be "stuffed with nothing tougher than tissue paper".

Coles won its Shonky for its under $10 meal promotion, which was fronted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and promoted during MasterChef.

Choice said: "The deal claims you can feed four people for less than $10. The catch is you have to already happen to have some of the ingredients in your pantry, which aren't included in the price."

The Commonwealth Bank picked up an award for its Standard Awards card, which was criticised "for its poor and sneaky rewards".

Choice claims the bank's customers, who spend $12,000 a year under the scheme, will earn only $20 in flights rewards.

Nurofen's Shonky came courtesy of some clever marketing after offering "painkillers labelled for specific pain types such as back, period, migraine".

Choice claims Nurofen painkillers actually contain identical ingredients from product to product.

"The shonkiest aspect of this type of marketing is that the fast-acting painkillers labelled for specific pain types are more expensive," Choice said.

Power Balance bands - which claim to increase an athlete's performance through increasing the natural energy flow - is simply just a rubber band bracelet with a plastic hologram, Choice said.

Choice said the bracelet, which is "endorsed by sporting pros" and sells "for a mere $60 alongside claims it somehow makes you stronger, more poised and just better. The band was tested at Choice under controlled lab conditions, which showed it did little else than empty purchasers' wallets".

In a award that is bound to cause much debate, Choice criticised the quality of olive oil in Australia.

Choice claims it "tested 28 brands of extra virgin olive oil and found half were nothing of the sort due to poor storage".

LG was also named for wrongly stating how much energy one of its fridges uses.