In this blog series, we’ll celebrate 30 years of the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks Code of Practice by looking at 30 key decisions from across the past three decades.
The First Edition of the Code was published in April 1996. Its introduction is often linked to the popularity of alco-pops in the 90s and the rise of sweet drinks with brightly coloured liquid, artwork and some with cartoon character mascots. The industry, in partnership with the Portman Group, recognised that responsible standards needed to exist for alcohol marketing so that it did not appeal to children.
While there are a few rulings from 1996 that reflected this concern by complainants, one of the most famous decisions was against Hooch in September 1996. Hooch, produced by Bass Brewers Ltd in 1996, became a motif of the 90s with its illustrated lemon imposed on a black background. Alcohol Concern complained that the cartoon lemon was similar in design to cartoon figures on products that were more likely to appeal to under-18s. The decision, one of the only taken by the Portman Group just before the creation of the Independent Complaints Panel, agreed with the complainant and upheld the complaint on the basis that the cartoon character was “similar to existing motifs appealing to under-18s”. As a member of the Portman Group, Bass Brewers removed the cartoon lemon from packaging.
In 2025, Hooch, now owned by Global Brands, re-introduced the cartoon lemon on a limited edition can to celebrate Hooch’s 30th anniversary. After discussion with the Portman Group, Global Brands self-referred the product for complaint with the request that the case be reconsidered on the basis that, as a nostalgia-based product, it was designed to appeal to adults. The Panel considered that the lemon did not appear to be playful or friendly and was unlikely to be engaging to a younger audience as it differed vastly from children’s cartoon characters who usually adopted a welcoming stance, large eyes and a smiling face. In addition to this, as the lemon did not bear similarity to characters that were popular with contemporary children, the Panel concluded that the lemon would instead have a particular nostalgic appeal to those who would remember it from the 90s and would now be over 30 years old. Read the 2025 decision.
The Hooch case is unique in that it is the only case to have been reviewed 30 years later. It shows how the Code and its accompanying guidance has evolved over time to take into account changes in societal perceptions and reflects the evolving nature of contemporary marketing and what particularly appeals to children today. The Code itself has changed too with more detailed regulatory guidance on what marketing elements could have a particular appeal to under-18s.
Most upheld cases result in a product being removed from the market. The majority of cases that we’ll review as part of this series no longer exist and show how the standards in the Code have changed the appearance of alcohol packaging and marketing over the years.
Author: Laura Demorais
Laura is responsible for leading and developing regulatory policy in relation to alcohol marketing issues. She is also responsible for providing the Code Secretariat function to support the Independent Complaints Panel and has oversight of the Advisory Service and Complaints function.