AN ADVERTISING regulator has found AU Vodka in breach of five codes for encouraging excessive and irresponsible alcohol consumption.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) challenged the vodka distiller due to a range of adverts that appeared on Instagram and AU Vodka’s website.
A total of eight adverts were questioned including seven Instagram posts and one website advert.
A total of eight adverts were challenged by the ASA.
One of the adverts, which was featured on Instagram showed a man sitting on a forklift truck, holding a bottle of the brand’s vodka and a glass with the drink in it.
This ad was deemed as irresponsible as it linked alcohol with the use of potentially dangerous machinery.
Another Instagram post featured British rapper Aitch, holding two bottles of AU Vodka, this sparked controversy as he is under 25.
Other adverts showed people surrounded with several bottles of the vodka, in one ad the rapper Ghetts was encircled with 13 bottles of the alcohol.
The ads were challenged due to the inappropriate nature.
Another Instagram post showed a video of the rapper Chipmunk sitting on the bonnet of a car pouring AU Vodka into a glass on a table which had more bottles of the drink, this was challenged due to the inappropriate feature of alcohol near a car.
AU Vodka Ltd responded saying that they did not believe the ads encouraged excessive alcohol consumption, and the numerous bottles of alcohol were purely for decorative purposes.
The vodka manufacturer also said that they had seen other drink brands feature numerous bottles on display in their adverts.
AU Vodka responded to the ad which featured the rapper Chipmunk stating that the rapper sent the video to them and they would make sure they do not share any content where a person was in the driver seat or passenger seat again.
AU Vodka defended a selection of the ads stating that other vodka brands advertised in a similar way.
The ASA found the ads to have breached the CAP codes 18.1, 18.3, 18.11, 18.12 and 18.16.
The ASA stated: ‘The ads must not appear again in their current form. We told AU Vodka Ltd to ensure that their ads were not irresponsible in the future. We told them to ensure that their ads did not encourage excessive drinking or unwise drinking styles, for example by featuring multiple bottles of alcohol alongside one person drinking and featuring alcohol being handled or served irresponsibly. We also told them to ensure that their ads did not link alcohol with activities in which drinking would be unsafe, for example with the use of potentially dangerous machinery or driving. We also told them to ensure that their alcohol ads did not show people who were, or appeared to be, under 25 years of age in a significant role.’
