The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) has been updated with new rules around ads placements and greater restrictions around direct marketing.
Key changes to the code mandate that alcohol ads can only be placed alongside content with reliable data to show that at least 80 per cent of the audience are adults.
The rules around direct marketing have also been bumped up. Communications must not be delivered to a child by hand, by direct mail or if a person has sought removal from their mailing list.
Rules around excessive or rapid consumption of alcohol have also been expanded as have the rules around showing that alcohol consumption can improve a person’s mood or environment, boost the success of a social occasion or suggest that alcohol offers any therapeutic or health benefit, or is needed to overcome adversity.
The code has also been expanded to no and very low alcohol beverages. The changes will come into effect on 1 August.
“Packaging with soft drink and confectionery themes is an area that attracts public complaints as seen in recent determinations and the new code provides greater clarity and updates around the meaning of ‘strong or evident’,” he said.
“Showing excess or rapid consumption of alcohol caused the majority of breaches last quarter and I urge marketers to move away from using these themes and images in their social media posts,” said ABAC chair Harry Jenkins.
“The new code clarifies that excessive consumption is consumption inconsistent with the Australian Alcohol Guidelines set by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Often these themes are shown humourously, and the new code makes it very clear that treating excessive or rapid consumption as amusing is a clear breach of responsible alcohol marketing standards.”
