Alcohol Ads Promoted Irresponsible Drinking

A complaint was made about four posts on the National Brands Nitro Facebook page. The advertisements used bright cartoon characters to promote alcoholic drinks Nitro Redline and Nitro Twisted Apple.

The Complainant was concerned the advertisements use design, motifs and cartoon characters that have strong or evident appeal to minors and the age-restricted media is unlikely to totally prevent youth exposure. The Complainant was also concerned the advertisements’ use of terms such as “Smash one back” encourages irresponsible or immoderate drinking.

The Advertiser defended the advertisements saying its Facebook page is age-gated meaning those under the age of 18 do not have access to the advertising. The Advertiser said consumers are entitled to drink 6.9 standard drinks over the period of a weekend which is 48 hours.

The Complaints Board said the imagery used in the four advertisements had evident appeal to minors with the use of bright coloured engaging cartoon characters. The Board agreed the advertisements’ language was also aimed at a younger audience. However, because the advertisements had been age-gated in order to prevent Facebook users under the age of 18 from viewing the post, children or young people should not have seen the advertisements.

However, the Complaints Board upheld the complaint in part, as it said the language in the advertisements suggested consuming the drinks in a manner which promoted irresponsible or immoderate drinking.

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