(Featuring Café Rumba BOLD, one of our products we work with. This photo of BOLD would pass all of the guidelines and could be used for marketing purposes!)
Did you know that there are guidelines for advertising when dealing with alcoholic beverages? WE DID!
These rules apply to all activities undertaken to advertise and market distilled spirits, malt beverage and wine brands. This includes brand advertising, consumer communications, promotional events, packaging, labels, and distribution and sales materials.
So, what does responsible or acceptable marketing with alcoholic beverages look like, or NOT look like?
Responsible Placement
Alcoholic products shouldn’t be advertised in a way that it’s primarily directed or appealing to anyone under the age of 21. That is a rule most of us would likely know, but did you know alcoholic print advertising items cannot be placed on any outdoor stationary location (ex. telephone post) within 500ft of a church, an elementary school or a secondary school? The only exception is if it’s on a licensed premise.
Those are just a few rules to keep in mind when advertising and deciding where you can and cannot post ads. Here is a list of more rules on responsible placement.
Responsible Content
The content of beverage alcohol advertising and marketing materials should not primarily appeal to consumers below the legal age. This includes the use of a child or portraying objects, images or cartoon figures that appeal to those under the age of 21. An example is the Santa Claus rule. Alcohol advertising should not contain the name of or depict Santa Claus. Santa is a fictional character that kids (below the legal drinking age) know. Using the Santa Claus rule is a helpful gauge for appropriate creative design.
Brands selling an alcoholic product should include age affirmation mechanisms on their website. For example, “to purchase alcohol a person must be 21 years of age born on or before today’s date in 1998.” The website should also provide a reminder of the legal purchase age of 21 years or older.
When using lifestyle shots for your website or social sites, keep in mind that advertising materials should portray drinkers in a responsible way. Ads should not show alcohol being consumed excessively, for example. Lastly, ads should not show consumers who are engaged in an activity that requires a high degree of alertness, such as driving.
There are a good amount of rules to follow when marketing alcoholic beverages. Make sure you’re practicing safe and responsible advertising.
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