The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) have introduced new rules and guidance for the advertising of alcohol alternative products in the UK. Because of their adult audience and proximity to tropes and imagery relating to alcohol, CAP and BCAP consider that adverts for these products need specific rules to ensure they are marketed responsibly. The new rules will appear in section 18 of the CAP Code and section 19 of the BCAP Code. The changes will take effect from 14 May 2024.
Following a public consultation, CAP and BCAP have defined alcohol alternatives as products with an Alcohol By Volume (ABV) at or below 0.5% that are marketed as alternatives to alcohol. The popularity of these products has risen significantly in recent years, prompting the need for specific advertising rules to ensure they don't indirectly promote alcohol consumption.
The new rules and guidance cover several aspects of advertising alcohol alternatives, including definitions, presentation of ABV statements, responsibility, and targeting and scheduling restrictions. One of the key rules stipulates that if an advertisement for an alcohol alternative inadvertently promotes alcoholic drinks, the full alcohol rules will apply. However, if the alcohol alternative shares the same brand as an alcoholic drink, the alcoholic drinks rules will not apply to those brand references, provided the primary effect of the advertisement is to promote the alcohol alternative.
All advertisements for alcohol alternatives must include a prominent statement of their ABV. The guidance explains that the ABV should be stated with reasonable prominence in the advert. Footnotes, onscreen text or the equivalent for audio adverts are all unlikely to be sufficiently prominent.
The rules also address the depiction of alcohol alternatives in scenarios where alcoholic drinks would be inappropriate or unsafe, such as driving. While such depictions are allowed, they must make it clear that the product is an alcohol alternative and not encourage or condone drinking alcohol in the same circumstances or heavy drinking in general.
Furthermore, the new rules specify that advertisements for alcohol alternatives must not be targeted at under-18s or be likely to appeal to them, especially by association with youth culture. They should also not generally feature people who are or appear to be under 25.
The implementation of these new rules will be subject to a six-month grace period to allow advertisers, media owners, and advice and clearance services sufficient time to amend their approaches and processes. A review of the new rules will be conducted after 12 months to ensure they are functioning as intended.
The introduction of these new rules and guidance marks a significant step in the regulation of advertising alcohol alternative products in the UK, reflecting the changing landscape of the alcohol and beverages market.
Explore the rest of our Food & Drink update here.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
