Alcohol Advertising Review Board
Determination Report
Reference number:
Product:
Advertiser:
242/13
BWS
Woolworths Limited
The complaint is upheld.
24 January 2014
This determination by the Alcohol Advertising Review Board Panel (“the Panel”) concerns an
advertisement for BWS by Woolworths Limited which was the subject of a complaint received on 16
December 2013.
The Advertisement
The advertisement was seen during the Channel 9 coverage of the third Ashes Test cricket match on
Sunday 15 December and Monday 16 December 2013. The complainant noted that they saw the
advertisement at 2.10pm on Monday 16 December 2013.
The advertisement opens on a man, wearing shorts and a white shirt with a checkered shirt over the
top, squatting down in a park. He is holding a stick and looking at a large dog sitting in front him. The
man stands up and throws the stick. The dog chases the stick and we see a close up of the man’s face.
The camera changes to a view of the park, with the man standing in the distance and the stick in front of
the camera. The dog runs towards the stick, and then runs past it. Cartoon images of dog footprints
appear from the ground as the man in the distance raises his hands. A voiceover states: “Today, your
dog nearly fetched.” The scene changes to a woman in a business shirt and skirt sitting with her hands
crossed next to a door. The door opens and a man in a business suit leans out. Cartoon images of
champagne corks appear on the screen. A voiceover states: “Today, you asked for that pay rise.” We
then see a close up of a man drinking from a bottle. He rubs his face and smiles. Cartoon images of
fireworks erupt from his face. A voiceover states: “Today, you grew a beard.” The scene changes to a
group of people laughing around a barbeque. Cartoon words stating “HA HA” appear around the group.
A voiceover states: “Today, they laughed with you.” The scene changes to a bottleshop. We see a young
man standing behind the counter, then a young woman placing wine on a shelf. Cartoon words stating
“HI!” appear around them. A white background with three orange dots appears, with a cartoon glass of
beer, glass of wine and glass of spirits inside the orange dots. The glasses turn into the BWS logo. The
closing shot of the advertisement is a BWS logo on a white background, with orange text stating
“TODAY’S SPECIAL” underneath. Along the bottom are three logos: “Don’t buy it for them 18+”, “Get the
Facts: Drinkwise.com.au”, and “I.D 25”. During these last scenes, a voiceover states: “At BWS, we
believe today is special. And to celebrate, you’ll find specials on beer, wine and spirits, today and every
day. Enjoy responsibly.” The song “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors plays throughout the
advertisement.
The Complaint
The complainant believes the advertisement contravenes the Code, on the basis that the advertisement
was broadcast during a popular sporting event, the Ashes, at a time when many children and young
people watching at home would have been exposed. The complainant also had concerns that the
advertisement normalised alcohol consumption, by encouraging the consumption of alcohol in
celebration of small, everyday events, such as a dog ‘nearly’ fetching a ball and a man growing a beard.
The complainant believed the statement: “We believe every day is special, and to celebrate you’ll find
specials on beer wine and spirits today and everyday”, coupled with the examples of everyday events,
gives the impression that every day is worth celebrating with alcohol, and gives you any excuse to drink.
The complainant believed this went against the spirit of the AARB Code.
The Code
The advertisement was reviewed against the Code, and in particular:
Section (3)(a)(i) of the Content Code:
3. General provisions:
a. Compliance
i. Alcohol Advertisements must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to the
audience and to society and must reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the
Code.
Section (2) of the Placement Code:
2. Television (free to air and pay TV)
Alcohol Advertisements shall not be broadcast between 5am and 9pm.
The Advertiser’s Comments
The Advertiser was contacted for comment on 17 December 2013. A response was received on 18
December 2013 and passed on to the Review Panel for consideration. The Advertiser declined to
participate in the AARB process.
Panel’s determination
The complaint was referred to three Panel members for review. The Panel determined:
1. The advertisement contravened section (3)(a)(i) of the Content Code, on the basis that the
majority of the Panel believed the advertisement did not reflect the spirit of the Code. While
one Panel member commented that the regular use of alcohol in moderation in connection with
feeling pleased about life’s small achievements is not necessarily harmful to health, the majority
of the Panel believed the advertisement normalises alcohol consumption by associating it with
commonplace, everyday events and depicting it as a means of celebrating the special things in
everyday life. A Panel member believed that the advertisement encourages daily drinking of
alcohol, through the idea that every day is special and worthy of celebration with alcohol. They
noted that while the NHMRC Guidelines define risky drinking in terms of the number of drinks
consumed on a given occasion (‘daily’), the guidelines do also recommend drinking less
frequently (e.g. having alcohol-free days or drinking weekly rather than daily) as a means of
reducing the lifetime risk of alcohol-related harms.
2. The advertisement contravened section (2) of the Placement Code, on the basis that the
advertisement was broadcast at approximately 2.10pm. A Panel member commented that
children are very likely to be watching the cricket and it is not appropriate for them to see
advertisements for alcohol, especially those that promote the normalisation of alcohol.
A Panel member further noted that the advertisement appears during a timeslot and sporting event
popular across all age groups, including children and young people, and underscores the pressing need
to close the loophole in the existing free-to-air Television Code of Practice. They believed that continual
exposure to ads such as this have an effect in normalising drinking and depicting alcohol consumption as
an inevitable and intrinsic element of everyday life.
The complaint is upheld.
Further action
The Alcohol Advertising Review Board requests the advertisement be withdrawn immediately, and
requests the Advertiser cease the placement of alcohol advertisements during times young people are
likely to be exposed, and in relation to content that is likely to appeal to young people, such as cricket.