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Company: Molson Coors Brewing Company UK
Breach: No
Final Decison: 8 September 2011

Considered under the 4th Edition of the Code.

Complaint summary

I would like to draw your attention to a current Corona promotion offering the prize to win a Trip to Ibiza. It is a promotion in bars and going right across the UK. To enter for the chance to win, a person must purchase a BUCKET of 5 x Coronas and they receive a code on the handle of the bucket which they then text to see if they have a won an instant prize or enter for the chance to win a trip to Ibiza I find that asking someone to purchase 5 x bottles in 1 session for 1 chance to win, certainly goes against the responsible drinking guidelines and would welcome your thoughts on this issue. Imagine if you wanted to enter more than once!!?”

Complainant

Member of the public

Decision

Under Code paragraph 3.2(f)

A drink, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way encourage illegal, irresponsible or immoderate consumption, such as drink-driving, binge-drinking or drunkenness.

NOT UPHELD

The company’s submission

The company explained that throughout the development process of the promotion its agency had worked closely with the Portman Group Advisory Service. It pointed out that all of the consumer-facing point-of-sale material communicated that consumers had to purchase a bucket of Corona ‘to share’ in order to participate in the promotion. The company asserted that the message that the holiday prize was for the individual entrant and three friends implicitly suggested that the bucket of beer was for sharing between four individuals, reinforcing the ‘share’ message.

The Panel’s assessment

The Panel noted that the company had made regular use of the Advisory Service and seemed to have taken on board most of the advice given.  The Panel considered that the point-of-sale material made very clear that the bucket of five Coronas was for shared consumption. Accordingly, it did not find the promotion in breach of Code paragraph 3.2(f).

Action by company

No further action required.