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Bulletin: 16/4
Batch: 235
Reference: 25940
Product: Alcohol
Advertiser: Chelsea Drugstore (Public House)
Agency:
Medium: Social Media
ASAI Code 7th Edition: 9.1
A post on the Chelsea Drugstore Facebook page said:
“Here at The Chelsea Drugstore, we know that first glass of wine is for health benefits. All the glasses after that are for your witty comebacks and flawless dance moves. So why wait to wine down? Book your table today and bring your friends along. Let's have an incredible evening together”.
The complainants, Alcohol Action Ireland, objected to the Facebook post on the grounds that it was encouraging irresponsible excessive drinking and promoted over indulgence in alcohol.
The advertisers said that it had never been their intention to promote or encourage excessive drinking. They advised that the purpose of their Facebook post had been to create some humour and it had been merely written in jest. They said that if the post was in breach of the Code rules then they would be happy to remove it.
Complaint Upheld
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response. The Committee noted that the advertisers had intended to be humorous. They also noted that the post had not referred a quantity of alcohol product. The Committee were concerned, however, that consumers may interpret the collective meaning of the phrases “first glass” and “all the glasses after that” to mean multiple glasses of wine. In the circumstances the Complaints Committee considered the advertising to be in breach of Sections 9.1, and 9.8(b) of the Code
The advertising should not be used in its current format again.