Alcohol Marketing in Europe

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• Alcohol Marketing in Europe
• By Avalon de Bruijn
• (STAP, National Foundation for Alcohol
  Prevention, the Netherlands)

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About STAP

• Independent non-profit organisation which
  advocates
• Effective control policies
• Public awareness of risks of alcohol.
• We work at
• Local level (research, policy advice, policy
  implementation)
• National level (Monitoring alcohol marketing,
  advocacy)
• European level (research, Monitoring alcohol
  marketing, advocacy)
• Idealistic projects Alcohol and pregnancy,
  alcohol free environments.

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Volume matters!

• Youngsters who are more exposed to alcohol
  advertisements
• start earlier with drinking alcohol
• drink higher quantities of alcohol at one
  occasion (binge drinking)
• Consume alcohol more frequently.

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• Youngsters will drink 1 more alcohol for every
  additional alcohol commercial they are exposed
  to. (longitudinal study, Snyder et al., 2006).

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Content matters!

• Research shows that attractive advertisement
  increases the effect on purchasing alcohol by
  youngsters.
• The intention of youngsters to purchase alcohol
  is predicted by how appealing youngsters find the
  advertisement. This attractiveness is constructed
  by the use of humor, celebrities and animals.
  Commercials mainly focused on product qualities
  contribute to a lower intention to purchase
  alcohol (Chen et al., 2005).

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Regulation of alcohol marketing

• There is a need to limit the youngsters exposure
  to (attractive) alcohol advertisement
• 76 regulations in 24 European countries
• 49 fixed by law
• 27 voluntary rules by the industry
  (self-regulation).
• Laws mainly focussed on volume restrictions
• Self-Regulation mainly focussed on content
  restrictions

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Regulation in Europe

• Council Recommendations (2001)
• 1(b) to ensure that alcoholic beverages are not
  designed or promoted to appeal to children and
  adolescents, and paying particular attention
  inter alia, to the following elements
• - the use of styles (such as characters, motifs
  or colours) associated with youth culture
• - featuring children, adolescents, or other
  young looking models, in promotion campaigns
• - links with violence or antisocial behaviour
• - implications of social, sexual or sporting
  success.
• Only on content and not binding.

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• Only 1 European Directive AVMSD (earlier TWFD)
• Article 15
• Television advertising and teleshopping for
  alcoholic beverages shall
• comply with the following criteria
• (a) it may not be aimed specifically at minors
  or, in particular, depict minors consuming these
  beverages
• (b) it shall not link the consumption of alcohol
  to enhanced physical performance or to driving
• (c) it shall not create the impression that the
  consumption of alcohol contributes towards social
  or sexual success
• (d) it shall not claim that alcohol has
  therapeutic qualities or that it is a stimulant,
  a sedative or a means of resolving personal
  conflicts
• (e) it shall not encourage immoderate consumption
  of alcohol or present abstinence or moderation in
  a negative light
• (f) it shall not place emphasis on high alcoholic
  content as being a positive quality of the
  beverages.
• Only on content and only on television ads
  (linear and non-linear).

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Self-Regulation in Europe Content restriction

• 2.4 Commercial Communications should not use
  objects, images, styles, symbols,
• colors, music and characters (either real
  or fictitious, including cartoon figures or
• celebrities such as sporting heroes) of
  primary appeal to children or adolescents.
• 2.5 Commercial Communications should not use
  brand identification such as names,
• logos, games, game equipment or other
  items of primary appeal to minors.
• Commercial Communications should not suggest
  that the consumption of
• Beverages is a requirement for social
  acceptance or success.
• 10.2 Commercial Communications should not suggest
  that the consumption of
• Beverages enhances sexual capabilities,
  attractiveness or leads to sexual
• relations.
• (source EFRD, Common Standards for Commercial
  Communications, January 2008)

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• Examples of advertising practices
• in violation with self-regulation,
• according to STAP

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Example 1 Social/sexual success

• Article 8
• Alcohol advertising is not allowed to suggest
  that consumption of alcoholic beverages
  contributes to social or sexual success

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International Marques Social success

• Grand Marnier print ad (2007)
• Turn a Cold start into a warm encounter with
  Grand Marnier
• Advertsing Code Committee
• The ad suggests that Grand Marnier contributes
  to more sociability and warmth. However, this
  does not imply that GM contributes to social
  success
• ? complaint rejected

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Bacardi Limon Sexual success

• Bacardi Limon (2005)
• 1 man on a bed with 4 women
• According to the Dutch Advertising Committee this
  commercial is not in violation with
  self-regulation code
• No suggestion of sexual success, but
• a metaphor for 1 part Bacardi Limon and 4 parts
  of Tonic!
• ? rejected

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Maxxium NL Sexual success

• Passoa Diablo (2002)
• Youre no angel
• These angels seem to have had sexual
  intercourse
• (toilet, clothes, open bottles)
• We couldnt prove that drinking happened before
  sex
• ? complaint rejected

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Shooter Quicky Sexual Success

• Shooter (2006)
• Website Feel like a. Quicky?
• Used as openings sentence to have sexual
  intercourse
• Advertsing Code Committee
• Although the name and presentation on the
  website are sexually tinged, it cannot be
  concluded that drinking a Quicky contributes to
  sexual success
• ? rejected

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Example 3 cheap drinks and irresponsible
consumption

• Article 1
• Caution with all alcohol advertising is
  warranted. Alcohol advertising is not allowed to
  stimulate or suggest excessive or irresponsible
  consumption.
• Article 20
• It is not allowed for members of the alcohol
  industry, to advertise with free drinks or to
  give a discount of more than 50

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Article 1 Stimulating excessive drinking

• Discotheque The Palace
• 2003-2008
• Advertises with cheap drinks every Thursday
• 5 complaints ? all sustained by Advertising
  Committee
• Despite 5 convictions in past few years, way of
  advertising not adjusted
• ? decision of Advertising Code Committee has no
  effect!

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Wine discount

• Wijnvoordeel.nl
• Wines with discounts gt 50
• Free wine packages after delivering 10 new
  members to the newsletter
• Has been convicted 3 times in 2007
• No official member of the STIVA (Foundation for
  Responsible Drinking)
• ? verdicts of Advertising Committee have no
  impact

Even worse much free publicity for winediscount!
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Example 5 Traffic - Dont drink and drive

• Article 17
• No connection between drinking and active
  traffic participation, unless...
• Is dont drink and drive warning visible on
  these vehicles??

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Changes concerning sports

• Code 1990
• Alcohol advertsing is not allowed to draw any
  connection between drinking and actively
  participating in sports
• Code 2005
• Alcohol advertising is not allowed to suggest
  that consumption of alcohol positively affects
  sport performances.
• ? Almost any association is allowed now!

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• Alcohol advertising is not allowed to
  specifically target young people. Alcohol
  advertsing is not allowed use illustrations,
  colors, shapes, cartoons, symbols, idols, music,
  souds, ringtones, SMS or youth slang,
• that have a significantly higher attraction value
  for minors than for adults

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Heineken Keep the Can Cool Game (2005)

• Online game Keep the Can Cool
• Committee
• Despite simple graphics and slightly childish
  appearance, it is not proven to be
  significantly more attractive for minors than
  adults
• ? rejected
• Impossible to prove significantly higher
  attraction value

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Volume restrictions in self-regulation

• EFRD code Mainly focussed on content restriction
• Only volume restriction is 30 threshold

2.2 Commercial Communications should only
promote Beverages in print and broadcast media
for which at least 70 of the audience are
reasonably expected to be adults 18 years or
older. They should not promote Beverages in print
and broadcast media, or events for which more
than 30 of the audience is known or reasonably
expected to be minors. (source EFRD, Common
Standards for Commercial Communications, January
2008)
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minors of total population
lt20 20-25 25-30 30-35
minors in EU27 countries 19.4 Source
Eurostat
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• Code 2005
• Alcohol advertising, in any form, is not allowed
  to reach a public consisting of more than 25
  minors
• seems sharpened
• in fact allows more advertising because 25 hard
  to prove!

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So you wanna be a popstar in Heineken Music
Hall (2007)

• Concert with Idols, based on tv show
• Attractive to young people
• Many minors present 30 (often accompanied by
  parents)
• No official visitor records known
• Advertising Committee
• The name HMH is alcohol advertising because the
  name Heineken is well known. However, majority of
  concerts (90) in HMH attract adults ? rejected!
  

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Rgulations at the Regional level

• Large differences between countries
• Should not contradict national or supra-national
  regulations
• Regional bodies can advocate more effective
  regulations!
• Regional bodies can influence volume alcohol
  marketing locally.

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What do we want?

• Limit exposure of young people to attractive
  advertisement with CLEAR regulations. Eg French
  Evin Law.

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What do we want?

• More effective regulations
• - Restrict the content of alcohol advertisement
  with CLEAR regulations. Eg French Evin Law.
• - Limiting the volume of alcohol marketing.
  Limiting the number of young people that is
  allowed to be reached. Ban all media that is
  difficult to monitor.
• Harmonization of regulation
• Effective monitoring of alcohol marketing

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Contact Information
EUCAM is
supported by European Centre for Monitoring
Alcohol Marketing Postbox 8181 3503 RD
Utrecht the Netherlands T 31 (0) 30 65 65 041 F
31 (0) 30 65 65 043 E-mail eucam_at_eucam.info