Alcohol advertising and sponsorship bans an extreme position

17th December 2014

Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship Forum calls for advertising and sponsorship bans an “extreme position that ignores the evidence” – ANZA CEO

Calls by the Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising & Sponsorship (MFAAS) to ban sponsorship by alcohol brands and further limit advertising “are an extreme position which have discounted significant global evidence to the contrary,” said Lindsay Mouat, Chief Executive of the Association of New Zealand Advertisers. “Despite recognising the need for targeted initiatives toward problem drinking, these recommendations are blunt and blanket and will disproportionately affect responsible New Zealanders who enjoy a wide range of sport, arts and cultural events.”

“Advertising and sponsorship bans have been internationally proven to be ineffective in addressing harmful drinking”,” said Mouat. “It is disappointing that the Forum has failed to recognise that the strongest influences on drinking behaviour for young people are friends and family. By contrast, advertising is one of the least influential factors.”

New Zealand’s co-regulatory approach, combining existing legislation together with the Advertising Standards Authority’s Codes, was recognised by the Forum and provides a strong framework which protects the public while allowing alcohol advertisers to communicate responsibly to consumers.

“Alcohol advertising is already heavily curtailed. Legally it can only show responsible drinking and target adult audiences. Reinforcing sociable and responsible approaches to drinking is an important part of role-modelling a positive drinking culture.”

ANZA welcomes the Government’s recognition that the important provisions of recent alcohol legislation (the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012) must be given time to demonstrate their impact in the community. The reduced blood alcohol levels for drivers, limits on advertising of price discounts, limits on the content of advertising, plus the local alcohol policies are all important initiatives which have only just been introduced into law. These need more time to be take effect before their effectiveness can reasonably be reviewed.

About ANZA
The Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA) provides a collective voice for advertisers in dealing with government, media, advertising agencies and other organisations in the advertising industry. We advocate for an advertising environment of responsible commercial communication, guided by industry self-regulation.

ANZA members represent many of the top 200 advertisers in New Zealand in areas including alcohol, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, digital technologies, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, finance and healthcare products.

ENDS

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