The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) recommends that all advertisements for alcohol beverages produced for publication or broadcast in Australia, other than point-of-sale advertising, must comply with the following guidelines.
Advertisements for alcohol beverages must:
a) Present a mature, balanced and responsible approach to the consumption of alcohol and, accordingly:
- Must not encourage excessive consumption or abuse of alcohol
- Must not encourage under-age drinking
- Must not promote offensive behaviour, or the excessive consumption of alcohol
- Must only depict the responsible and moderate consumption of alcohol.
b) Not have a strong or evident appeal to children or adolescents and, accordingly:
- Adults appearing in advertisements must be over 25 year-of-age and be clearly depicted as adults
- Children and adolescents may only appear in advertisements in natural situations (e.g. family barbecue, licensed family restaurant) and where there is no implication that the depicted children and adolescents will consume or serve alcohol beverages; and
- Adults under the age of 25 years may only appear as part of a natural crowd or background scene.
c) Not suggest that the consumption or presence of alcohol may create or contribute to a significant change in mood or environment and, accordingly:
- Must not depict the consumption or presence of alcohol as a cause of or contributing to the achievement of personal, business, social, sporting, sexual or other success
- If alcohol is depicted as part of a celebration, it must not imply or suggest that the beverage was a cause of or contributed to success or achievement
- Must not suggest that the consumption of alcohol offers any therapeutic benefit or is a necessary aid to relaxation.
d) Not depict any direct association between the consumption of alcohol, other than low-alcohol beverages, and the operation of a motor vehicle, boat or aircraft or the engagement in any sport (including swimming and water sports) or potentially hazardous activity and, accordingly:
- Any depiction of the consumption of alcohol in connection with the above activities must not be represented as having taken place before or during engagement of the activity in question and must in all cases portray safe practices; and
- Any claim concerning safe consumption of low-alcohol beverages must be demonstrably accurate.
e) Not challenge or dare people to drink or sample a particular alcohol beverage, other than low-alcohol beverages, and must not contain any inducement to prefer an alcohol beverage because of its higher alcohol content; and
f) Comply with the Advertiser Code of Ethics adopted by the Australian Association of National Advertisers.