Alcohol brands under fire for irresponsible social media ads

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has reprimanded three major drinks companies for breaching alcohol advertising codes on social media. Each ruling highlights the growing tension between digital marketing strategies and the ethical boundaries of responsible alcohol promotion. The post Alcohol brands under fire for irresponsible social media ads appeared first on The Drinks Business.

May 22, 2025 - 11:15

Alcohol brands under fire for irresponsible social media ads

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has reprimanded three major drinks companies for breaching alcohol advertising codes on social media. Each ruling highlights the growing tension between digital marketing strategies and the ethical boundaries of responsible alcohol promotion. Businessman in full suit in studio pointing at glass of beer, (B&W), portrait.The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has reprimanded three major drinks companies for breaching alcohol advertising codes on social media. Each ruling highlights the growing tension between digital marketing strategies and the ethical boundaries of responsible alcohol promotion.

It was a short, sharp post — “SEND IT” — and an image of a man dramatically pouring an 8.4% ABV can of FourLoko into his open mouth from above. But this brief moment on Instagram has become the latest cautionary tale in alcohol advertising. In a ruling published yesterday (21 May 2025), the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint against Phusion Projects LLC, trading as FourLoko, for promoting irresponsible drinking. The ASA found the post breached CAP Code rule 18.1, which demands that alcohol marketing be socially responsible and not encourage unwise drinking styles. While the brewer argued that the drink was packaged to remain under four units of alcohol, specifically, 3.7 units, in line with Portman Group guidance, and that the post reflected the “live music events” context of its brand, the ASA was not convinced. According to the regulator, “the image showed a drinking style that would allow a large amount of alcohol to be consumed quickly, and in an uncontrolled and irresponsible manner.” The accompanying text, particularly the phrase “SEND IT” paired with three rocket symbols, was interpreted as urging rapid consumption, further reinforcing the unsafe drinking message. The ASA concluded that the ad “portrayed and encouraged a style of drinking that was unwise” and instructed FourLoko that future marketing must not “contain anything that was likely to lead people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise.” The matter was referred to the Compliance team for monitoring.

Dry January derailed: VK’s failed joke

Global Brands Ltd, the company behind VK, faced a similar fate in April, when a paid Instagram story promoting its 70 cl bottles of VK Blue was ruled in breach of CAP Code rules 18.1 and 18.6. The post read: “Doing Dry January? One won’t hurt, right? And yes, the 70cl bottles totally count! Pick up a 70cl bottle of VK Blue at B&M for just £1.99 and keep the party going into January!” The ASA judged the ad to be socially irresponsible, particularly given the context of Dry January, a public health initiative designed to help individuals abstain from alcohol for the month. While VK defended the ad as a light-hearted nod to those not fully participating in the challenge, the ASA found that it instead undermined the core message of the campaign. The phrase “one won’t hurt” was deemed especially problematic. The ASA described it as a phrase “closely associated with peer pressure and relapse during abstinence” and noted it was often “used to persuade someone to drink alcohol against their better judgement.” Further, the ASA determined that the suggestion to “keep the party going into January” implied that alcohol was necessary to avoid boredom, a direct violation of the rules that prohibit any suggestion that alcohol can resolve emotional or psychological issues. The ruling added that “the fundamental purpose of the ad was to tempt consumers taking part in Dry January to drink alcohol” and concluded it was irresponsible.

The magic of Christmas gone wrong: Bargain Booze’s festive faux pas

In December 2024, Bestway Retail Ltd, operating as Bargain Booze, launched a Facebook and Instagram campaign featuring a whimsical video starring Father Christmas. It included festive music, magical gift-wrapping, and a “naughty or nice” app used by Santa inside a Bargain Booze store. Despite targeting the ad at users aged 18 and over, the ASA upheld the complaint on 19 March 2025, ruling that the ad breached CAP Code rule 18.14, which prohibits alcohol ads from having particular appeal to people under 18. The ASA acknowledged that “Father Christmas had appeal to people of all ages,” but stressed that the presentation, including magical elements, juvenile humour, and a storyline reminiscent of children’s Christmas films, tipped the balance toward content likely to captivate children. This included visual effects, playful festive puns like “BILLY BAUBLES,” and scenes of wonder, such as a woman gasping in amazement at seeing Santa. Even more concerning was the platform used. Despite targeting by age, the ASA noted that Facebook and Instagram do not enforce robust age-verification systems. “Under-18s had not been entirely excluded from the audience,” the report stated. While Santa might be a universal figure, the ASA found that in this context, his portrayal was “irresponsible” and the ad should not appear again in its existing form.

Marketing in a minefield: the alcohol industry and social media

These three rulings in quick succession mark a clear warning from regulators: alcohol brands need to take greater care with tone, audience, and implications, particularly on social media platforms where age controls are often lax and messages spread quickly. Whether invoking seasonal nostalgia, tapping into health trends, or chasing viral moments at music events, advertisers walk a tightrope between engagement and ethical responsibility. the drinks business has reached out to Phusion Projects LLC, Global Brands Ltd and Bestway Retail Ltd, respectively, for further comment.