» Press Releases

A new review of alcohol labelling on the UK market has revealed near universal levels of adherence across the alcohol industry with the Portman Group’s voluntary health labelling guidelines.

The study, which is released today (12 September) and the largest of its kind, sampled 500 alcohol products from the UK’s top brands and demonstrates the robust voluntary industry-wide commitment to providing consumers with public health information.

It found near universal coverage of our minimum guidelines:

Over 99% of labels carry a pregnancy warning logo or message.
96% carry alcohol unit content information, up from 94% in our 2021 review.
86% carry the UK Chief Medical Officers guideline not to regularly drink more than 14 units per week, up from 79% in our previous review.
92% carry a reference to Drinkaware or other responsibility messaging.
74% of labels use a box to explicitly separate information for consumers, including 86% of products which carried the Chief Medical Officers’ Guideline. We will further clarify our advice to producers that this is our recommended method for presenting Portman Group best practice.

The research also revealed significant increases in many brands going above and beyond the guidelines and showcasing additional elements such as calorie information, drink driving warnings and age restriction – further demonstrating a serious and widespread commitment to responsible marketing and tackling harm. Over half (51%) carry calorie information on labels and over a third (38%) carry a warning against drink driving, as well as over a third (36%) carrying age restriction warnings. These are all increases since our last market review in 2021.

For over 25 years, the UK alcohol industry has proactively worked to ensure that alcohol labelling is both socially responsible and informative for consumers, and our latest industry Best Practice Guidance, ensures consumers have access to more product and health information than ever before.

Where there are small gaps in the market, we have already begun reaching out to producers to encourage further take up of the guidelines with many already confirming changes are underway. Any producers who are unsure of the guidelines or our Codes of Practice are encouraged to take advantage of our free and confidential Advisory Service.

Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group said: “We’re incredibly pleased to see such positive levels of increasing adherence to our best practice guidelines, which showcase the alcohol industry’s long-standing commitment to proactively ensuring responsible marketing and informing consumers. It’s important to remember that all of this has been achieved without any need for government legislation and crucially at no cost to the UK taxpayer.

“Our guidelines are absolutely clear that labels should contain distinct information, such as on units and Government lower-risk drinking guidelines, so that consumers are able to easily understand and make informed choices about their alcohol consumption. It’s particularly positive to see not only is this being near universally met, but many producers are going above and beyond to provide additional information such as calories and drink driving warnings.”

For nearly thirty years the Portman Group’s Code of Practice has set the minimum standards for alcohol producers to market their products responsibly, and resulted in nearly 200 inappropriate and irresponsible products being removed from shelves.

The Code of Practice covers the naming, packaging, and promotion of any alcoholic products which are marketed in the UK and now has 12 code rules which all producers must abide by if they are selling or marketing a product in the UK. It ensures that alcohol is marketed in a socially responsible way, only to those aged 18 and over, and in a way that does not appeal particularly to those who are vulnerable.

Since 1996 when it was first introduced, the Code has resulted in nearly 200 irresponsible and inappropriate alcohol products being removed from shelves, in turn protecting consumers and increasing standards across the drinks industry.

A look back over the years provides an eye-opening insight into how alcohol marketing has evolved in line with an increase in moderate drinking and social changes in society, resulting in a more responsible industry than ever.

Now in its sixth edition (amended), we’ve gone through the archives of upheld complaints to see just how far alcohol marketing has come as a result of our Code of Practice.

1996 – TNT Liquid Dynamite

A complaint suggested the product had an association with violent, aggressive, dangerous and anti-social imagery and behaviour given the perception of dynamite and its use in bringing about destruction.

The Panel upheld the complaint under two aspects of the Code, citing that the imagery was of concern and that a reasonable person looking at its packaging could reasonably conclude that there was an association with dangerous behaviour.

1997 – Bullshit Lager

A complaint was upheld against this Newcastle brewed beer on the basis its less than polite name was more likely to appeal to under-18s than adults. The Panel also noted the cartoon picture of the bull snorting on the front of the bottle, and defecating on the back of it, were features that would appeal predominantly to under-18s.

2002 – Cannabis vodka

Code rule 3.2(c) states that alcoholic products shouldn’t suggest any association with illegal or illicit drugs, so it’s no surprise that the Panel upheld a complaint against this prominently themed cannabis vodka.

2003 – Shag lager

Despite the producer arguing that the name of this lime flavoured lager denoted a type of seabird which was featured on the label, the Panel noted that it was also a commonly used slang term for sexual intercourse and that consumers were more likely to interpret the brand name in this way. They therefore upheld the complaint under Code rule 3.2(d) which at the time stated that alcohol products should not have any link with sexual success.

2005 – Kalashnikov Vodka

A complaint against this product suggested the name was “entirely inappropriate for an alcoholic drink, as the general public would immediately associate the name with the world famous weapon, the AK-47, which has become a global symbol for terror and violence.”. The Panel agreed and upheld it under Code rule 3.2(b).

2007 – Rubel sexy lager

This bottled Belgian beer was removed from shelves in the UK in 2007 after the Panel ruled that the name of the product, and the image featuring a woman in a scantily clad swimsuit, contravened Code rule 3.2(d) stating alcohol products shouldn’t have any link with sexual success. The product also had an interactive feature where consumers could scratch off the swimsuit to reveal a naked woman.

2011 – Suck and blow

A complaint against these alcoholic jelly shot tubes, which were designed for one person to blow into another’s mouth, was upheld under three different aspects of the Code. The Panel found the product appealed to under-18s (Code rule 3.2h), created an association with sexual success (3.2d) and encouraged the consumer to drink rapidly (Code rule 3.2g).

2018 – Pink IPA

This limited edition BrewDog IPA was released for International Women’s Day to generate discussion around the gender pay gap. While the Panel acknowledged the product was intended to be ironic, they noted the dictionary definition of ‘girl’ was ‘female child’ and found the phrase ‘beer for girls’ created a link between beer and children. They therefore upheld the complaint under Code rule 3.2(h).

2018 – Three Pugs Bubblegum gin liqueur

While the Panel stated the alcoholic nature of this product was communicated with clarity in terms of its name and ABV, they upheld a complaint against this product on the grounds that it could have particular appeal to under-18s. While they noted that pugs aren’t inherently appealing to young children, they found the pugs’ features had been exaggerated and had been depicted in a hot air balloon scenario more akin to a child’s adventure story.

2021 – Quickie wine

A complaint against this wine stated its “objectifying, sexual branding” was “outdated and offensive”. The Panel found it created a direct link to sexual activity (3.2d) and also upheld it against our newest Code rule (3.3) which was introduced in 2019 to protect against products causing serious or widespread offence. It noted the image placed unnecessary focus on the woman’s body in a sexualised manner, and depicted a power imbalance between men and women which could cause serious offence based on gender and sex.

Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, commented: “These examples are a real testament to the alcohol industry’s effective and robust self-regulatory model, and the impact the Portman Group has had over the years in shifting marketing culture and raising standards to protect consumers. With nearly two hundred products removed from shelves, the industry has come a long way over the years and we will continue to work closely with producers to enforce responsible marketing.”

The alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) is delighted to announce the appointment of three new members, further strengthening and enhancing the Panel’s expertise and diversity.

Following a rigorous recruitment process which saw an unprecedented amount of applications received, Evans Omondi, Amanda Bridgewater, and Hayden Taylor have been appointed as new Panel members and will sit on their first Panel meeting on 9 May.

The Panel is chaired by Rachel Childs and new members are carefully recruited in order to represent a cross section of society with a balance of experience and expertise in key areas such as licensing, public health, children’s services and law.

The ICP is independent from the Portman Group and considers complaints brought forward on the naming, packaging, promotion and sponsorship of alcoholic drinks based on the Portman Group’s Codes of Practice. The Panel meet several times a year to consider these complaints and decide whether they are upheld or not upheld based on evidence.

To maintain the diversity of the Panel applications were particularly encouraged during this recruitment process from those with professional experience working with young people.

Evans Omondi

Evans Omondi is a Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) qualified youth worker with over 15 years’ experience working with young people. He currently manages a youth programme in central London which specialises in working with young people who have experienced youth violence, and has previous experience working in multiple youth centres and mentoring young people with learning difficulties.

Amanda Bridgewater

Amanda Bridgewater has over 20 years’ experience in the education sector, working in various senior leadership roles in the secondary sector, most recently as Interim Principal of a large state-school in Bristol. She has held education consultancy roles across schools in both the urban and rural context as well as sitting at board level in the primary sector. She has also worked with vulnerable young people in the charity sector as a Trustee and volunteer for a number of UK, European and international charities.

Hayden Taylor

Hayden Taylor is a young social entrepreneur and company director who founded social enterprise Unloc, a leading non-profit organisation which helps schools and colleges to empower young people across the UK with the leadership skills and platforms to drive change. Hayden has founded a number of successful campaigns focused on supporting young people to become policy influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs in the UK and Europe, and is a global youth ambassador for One Young World.

Chair of the Independent Complaints Panel (ICP), Rachel Childs, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome our new members to the Panel and I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate them on their appointment, following what was a very competitive recruitment process with an exceptionally high standard of applicants. All three have demonstrated an impressive breadth of experience and understanding of young people which will be invaluable when applying the Codes of Practice. I very much look forward to working with them.”

A complaint against six Beak Brewery products has been upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (ICP).

The complaint, from a member of the public, expressed concern that the bright, cartoon branding on Beak Brewery products may have particular appeal to under-18s, under Code rule 3.2(h).

The Panel considered ten products under the Code in total and upheld complaints against six products and a gift pack. The complaint was not upheld against three products.

The list of decisions can be found below:

BEAK DÉŠŤ 5% CZECH PILS

Upheld – 3.2(h) A drink, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way have a particular appeal to under-18s.

Not upheld – 3.1 The alcoholic nature of a drink should be communicated on its packaging with absolute clarity.