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Alcohol
Oleksandr Storozhuk avatar
Written by Oleksandr Storozhuk
Updated over a week ago

All alcohol-related advertorials and PR content must comply with applicable legislation and other standard industry and regulatory requirements. This includes proper disclaimers, age-gating mechanisms and responsible drinking and health warnings, which must all be present on the landing page of your campaigns.

Additionally, all campaigns advertising the sale of alcohol products need to comply with the following policies:

Campaigns must not:

  • Target any audience under the legal drinking age of any country in which it is running.

  • Glorify or incite the consumption of alcohol.

  • Imply that there are any health benefits or therapeutic benefits of alcohol.

  • Show any kind of alcohol consumption in conjunction with the operation of a vehicle of any kind.

  • Use images of excessive drinking.

Alcohol Restrictions By Country

Alcohol promotion of any kind is prohibited in the following countries:

  • China

  • India

  • Indonesia

  • Russia

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Turkey

  • Vietnam

  • United Arab Emirates

Country

Allowed, With Restrictions

Prohibited

Argentina

Content must:

  • Include the following health warning disclosures on the landing page (in Spanish):

    • “Drink in moderation.”

    • “It is illegal to sell this product to anyone under the age of 18.”

Content must not:

  • Target individuals under the age of 18.

  • Feature individuals under the age of 18 who are drinking alcohol.

Australia

Content must:

Brazil

Content must:

  • Include the following disclosure on the landing page: “Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.”

Content must not associate alcohol with:

  • Driving

  • Olympics or competitive sports

  • Success

  • Sexuality

Canada

Campaigns must not:

  • Depict consumption of alcohol.

  • Urge individuals to purchase or consume alcoholic products.

France

Campaigns must:

  • Include this disclosure on the landing page: "l'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé."

  • Target publishers that can reasonably be expected to have readership of at least 70% of adults 18 years of age and older

  • Include an age-gate for branded sites where a user inputs age or date of birth, and is blocked in the event that the user indicates an age under 18.

  • Limit descriptions of the product to details about the product’s qualities.

Acceptable Examples:

Alcohol’s proof, how long it has aged, ingredients

Unacceptable Examples:

Consuming the product in a social situation, stating that the product will contribute to social, sexual, or intellectual success

Campaigns must not:

  • Target individuals under the age of 18.

  • Offer alcoholic products for free.

  • Encourage excessive consumption or criticize sobriety.

  • Involve consumption of alcohol in conjunction with operation of motor vehicles or any machinery.

  • Appeal to minors or contain minors

  • Use the amount of alcohol in the beverage as a selling point (for example: "This drink has a low percentage of alcohol, so you can avoid being excessively drunk," "This drink is quite alcoholic and you'll only need one or two to get drunk.")

Germany

Campaigns must:

  • Promote responsible alcohol consumption.

Campaigns must not:

  • Promote abusive consumption or trivialize alcohol consumption

Examples: Flat-rate offers, all-you-can-drink offers.

  • Show individuals who are visibly intoxicated.

  • Associate alcohol with aggressive or dangerous conduct.

Examples: Driving a car, exercising while drinking.

  • Speak negatively about abstaining from drinking.

  • Feature individuals under the age of 18 drinking.

  • Show athletes drinking or promoting alcohol.

  • State that the product will contribute to social, sexual, or intellectual success.

  • Use high alcohol content as a selling point.

Italy

Campaigns must not:

  • Target people under the age of 18.

  • Depict consumption of alcohol.

  • Contain any incentives that encourage people to purchase or consume the product.

  • Encourage excessive, uncontrolled, and hence harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages.

  • Stress high alcoholic strength as being the principal feature of a beverage.

  • Depict sobriety and abstemiousness as negative values.

  • Induce the public to disregard different drinking styles associated with the specific features of individual beverages and the personal conditions of consumers.

  • Induce the public to believe that the consumption of alcoholic beverages promotes clear thinking and enhances physical and sexual performance, or that the failure to consume alcohol implies physical, mental or social inferiority.

  • Associate the consumption of alcoholic beverages with the driving of motorised vehicles.

  • Make direct use signs, symbols, drawings, fictitious characters or real people of primary appeal to minors, that may arouse the direct interest of minors.

  • Target or refer to minors, even only indirectly, or depict minors or people who clearly appear to be minors, consuming alcohol.

  • Depict an unhealthy attachment or addiction to alcohol, or generally lead people to believe that resorting to alcohol can solve personal problems

Japan

Disclaimers must:

  • Include a warning to minors such as ‘you can drink after you are 20 years old’ or ‘minors’ drinking is prohibited by law’.

  • Include a warning for pregnant women and nursing mothers (that alcohol may have a harmful influence on their embryos or babies).

  • Include a warning regarding alcohol consumption and health (for example: “Be aware not to drink excessively” or “Drink moderately.”).

  • Include a warning to prevent underage consumption of alcohol (for example: “Underage drinking is prohibited by law” or “Drinking is after you turn twenty years old.”).

Promotions leading to direct sale of alcohol products (for example a liquor store) must be licensed for the sale of alcohol products. Licensing authorities can be found here.

Promotions not leading to the direct sale of alcohol product (for example a product awareness beer commercial information only) may run without a license (see above)

Campaigns must not:

  • Appeal or target people under 20 years of age.

  • Be featured on sites where the majority of users are under the age of 20.

  • Feature people under the age of 20 in the creatives and content of the campaign.

  • Encourage drinking while exercising or bathing.

  • Feature consumption of alcohol in relation to any dangerous activities.

  • Include pregnant celebrities in campaigns.

  • Show alcohol consumption in conjunction with the operation of a vehicle of any kind, the operation of machinery or the performance of any task requiring alertness or dexterity

Malaysia

Campaigns must not:

  • Target individuals under the age of 18.

  • Encourage excessive alcohol consumption or suggest that drinking can help overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems.

  • Exploit those who are especially vulnerable because of age, inexperience or any physical, mental or social incapacity.

  • Depict alcohol consumption based on a dare or impute any failing to those who do not accept the challenge of a particular drink.

  • Emphasize the stimulant, sedative or tranquilizing effects of any drink.

  • Give the general impression that a drink is being recommended mainly for its intoxicating effect or that drinking is necessary for social success or acceptance.

  • Suggest that any alcoholic drink has therapeutic qualities or can enhance mental, physical or sexual capabilities, popularity, attractiveness, masculinity, femininity, personal relationships, social success, or sporting achievements.

  • Present drinks as preferable because of their high alcohol content or intoxicating effect.

  • Associate drinking with operating machinery, driving, performing any activity relating to water or heights, or any other occupation that requires concentration to be performed safely.

  • Suggest that people who drink are brave, tough or daring for doing so

Mexico

Campaigns must:

Campaigns must not:

  • Be aimed at individuals under the age of 18 or associated with activities of individuals under the age of 25.

  • Promote excessive consumption.

  • Portray success, prestige, fame, leisure, tranquility, or joy.

  • Attribute nutritional, sedating, or stimulating qualities to the product.

  • Associate consumption with sporting, civic, or religious activities.

  • Promote the product through contests or sweepstakes.

  • Include feature individuals drinking or holding alcohol.

New Zealand

Campaigns must not:

  • Promote any alcohol that is free of charge.

  • Encourage underage drinking or be appealing to individuals under the age of 18.

  • Encourage excessive consumption of alcohol.

Singapore

Campaigns must:

  • Target publishers where readers are of legal drinking age.

Campaigns must not:

  • Emphasize the stimulant, sedative, or tranquilizing effects of any drink or encourage over-indulgence and excessive consumption.

Spain

Campaigns must not:

  • Promote irresponsible consumption.

  • Associate consumption with enhanced physical performance, social success, or health.

Switzerland

Advertising of distilled spirits (hard liquor) campaigns:

  • Must only present information and make representations directly related to the product and its qualities and characteristics.

Thailand

Campaigns must:

  • Only target sites where the audience is over the age of 18.

Campaigns must not:

  • Target individuals under the age of 18.

  • Contain images or audio that depict or encourage alcohol consumption.

  • Contain corporate images used in an unclear manner.

  • Compare or compete against other brands.

  • Suggest that alcohol consumption leads to sexual attractiveness, life success, or health benefits.

  • Contain any celebrities.

  • Contain any images of workers or employees.

  • Contain any images of models dressed or behaving in any manner that is insensitive or inappropriate according to traditional cultural standards.

United Kingdom

Campaigns must:

  • Only target sites where at least 75% of the audience is reasonably expected to be 18 years or older.

Campaigns must not:

  • Target individuals under the age of 18.

  • Feature individuals under the age of 25.

  • Show alcohol being consumed in the workplace or while operating machinery, driving, or engaging in watersports.

  • Associate alcohol with sexual or social success.

United States

Campaigns must:

  • Include an age gate (no individual under the age of 21 may access the site) on the landing page.

  • Include alcohol-related disclosure requirements (ex: "drink responsibly").

Campaigns must not:

  • Target individuals under the age of 21.

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