Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority.
Although drinkers may obviously be shown in a group setting and alcohol can be conveyed as a legitimate accompaniment to a social occasion, marketers should not unduly emphasise the role alcohol might play. If an otherwise dull party becomes a social triumph as a result of alcohol, the ad will almost certainly break the Code.
The ASA has upheld complaints about ads in which alcohol was seen as the major component in social intercourse. The ASA upheld complaints about a cinema ad that showed a party on a station platform. It concluded that the ad was irresponsible because alcohol consumption was portrayed as the main reason for the party and for its success (Bacardi-Martini Ltd, 19 January 2005). About a year later, the ASA upheld a complaint about an ad that featured a man dressed in a suit with a Ram’s head and the strapline “This is a Ram’s World”. The ASA noted the “Ram” was the centre of attention at a party thereby linking alcohol with social success (Young and Co’s Brewery Plc, 11 January 2006).
Last modified : 26 July 2010