Alcohol advertising rebukes for Coles, LMG
Coles' Liquorland chain and Liquor Marketing Group's Harry Brown banner group have both had complaints under the Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) upheld against them in recent weeks.
Complaints received by ABAC against Liquorland referred to the retailer's 'Get Ready for Summer' television campaign, comprising five separate advertisements along a similar theme.
ABAC said complaints centred on the large amounts of alcohol shown in various scenes in the advertisements, images of people gathering and consuming large quantities of alcohol and "the implication that alcohol was needed to mark summer and Australia Day".
Liquorland, which is not a signatory to the supplier-focused ABAC scheme, argued that that the advertisements "capture Australian values of optimism, warmth, free spiritedness and sharing great times with friends".
"The depictions of alcohol consumption are not conspicuous or overzealous," the retailer said.
But the ABAC Panel found the advertisements all breached the code "by failing to represent a balanced and responsible approach to alcohol consumption and by encouraging excessive consumption".
Additional complaints were upheld against some of the five advertisements for encouraging underage drinking and depicting a direct association between the consumption of alcohol beverages and the engagement in sport.
Drinking champagne 'good for your health'
ABAC also upheld a single complaint against Harry Brown The Liquor Trader relating to an advertisement that appeared in an insert to the West Australian newspaper earlier this month.
The advertisement featured an image of two bottles of Veuve Cliquot with the text: "Drinking champagne must be good for your health as the famous widow [Barbe Nicole Ponsardin] lived for 89 years".
LMG acknowledged the breach and apologised for it.
Also in March, ABAC dismissed a complaint against Carlton & United Breweries relating to an advertisement for Great Northern Beer. Complaints against Australian Liquor Marketers (ALM) for advertisements by its Cellarbrations and Bottle'O banners were also dismissed.
Source: The Shout, 27 March 2013
