Tetley has brewed up a storm over a teacup after claiming that rival PG Tips "denigrated" its round teabags in a TV ad.

But the flat-capped cartoon Yorkshiremen of the Tetley folk have been sent packing by the advertising watchdog, which backed the claims of the rival brand's monkey puppet. PG Tips owner Unilever got itself into hot water with a recent television ad in which the puppet brews up two cups of tea for comedian Johnny Vegas, one using a generic round teabag and one a using the brand's pyramid bag.

Tetley, which is owned by India's Tata Global Beverages, complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the ad was "misleading and exaggerated the capability and performance of the advertised product" and portrayed its brand, which accounts for half of all the round teabags sold in the UK, in a "negative light". Tata also questioned whether the ad's claim that the pyramid bag meant "the tea has more room to move, freeing the great fresh taste" could be substantiated.

Tea bag war WEB2

But the ASA has dismissed the complaints, ruling that there are several brands of round teabags on the market and that the pyramid bag did allow the tea to move more freely and release more taste. It said Unilever had provided evidence to demonstrate that the bag had "greater brewing efficiency". The tests showed that the infusion of tea, at 40 seconds and two minutes into the brewing process, was greater when using a pyramid teabag than when using a round teabag.

Clearcast, the body which checks adverts against the UK advertising code, also supported the points made by Unilever. It said that taste was subjective but that the company had provided evidence to show the tea moved more freely.