The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) has seen increased activity this quarter, with 60 new complaints and 26 determinations.
In its 2Q2020 report, ABAC said COVID-19 impacts included alcohol producers and retailers turning to new channels to sustain sales.
ABAC chair Harry Jenkins said it wasn’t surprising the pandemic and associated government restrictions were prominent both in marketing references and complaints.
Jenkins said: “It is acceptable to reference the pandemic in marketing, like its acceptable to reference other significant background events. Current business conditions have seen some industry participants using marketing channels which they may not have used extensively in normal conditions.
“It is however important that good standards of marketing are maintained. Many alcohol producers and retailers have turned to online marketing and home delivery to sustain sales.
“In this environment, marketers need to be mindful of the ABAC standard in Part 3(c) and ensure that marketing messages don’t: suggest alcohol is needed as an aid to relaxation; imply alcohol is a prop to get someone through the stresses of coping with the pandemic; or suggest that alcohol can significantly change a mood or environment.”
Ad Standards has also issued a reminder to advertisers as COVID-19 continues to evolve to ensure that the content of all ads align with current community standards and health guidelines.
Jenkins said ABAC had noticed lower pre-vetting levels this quarter. He said while ABAC understood that companies were looking for ways to cut costs during challenging times, it urged marketers to continue using the ABAC pre-vetting service.
“it is a valuable independent check that their promotions meet responsible marketing standards before reaching the marketplace.
“ABAC is pleased to see very few placement breaches this quarter, with just one marketer failing to activate age restriction controls on their Facebook account.
“Alcohol marketers should all familiarise themselves with the ‘How to’ guides on implementing age restrictions on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Youtube which are available on the ABAC website,” Jenkins said.
More information about the code is available here.
