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Alcohol Concern calls for greater vigilance of website alcohol adverts

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Retailers should steer clear of 'retargeting' advertising to protect children from alcohol advertising.

Alcohol Concern has today called on drinks retailers to steer clear of 'retargeting' advertising techniques in order to protect children from alcohol adverts.

The charity was alerted by a concerned mother who found Marks & Spencer adverts for champagne appearing on GirlGames1.com, a website for pre-teen girls. The mum, from Surrey, who wishes to remain anonymous, found alcohol adverts appearing  on the children's site while her five year old daughter was  playing  cartoon games.

'Retargeted advertising' is advertising which appears to online users from companies whose websites they have visited in the past. Because the mother had surfed M&S online for champagne at Christmas, their retargeting system allowed  the champagne adverts to become  available on selected websites visited by her computer. This meant that when her daughter visited children's website GirlGames1.com, an alcohol advert appeared in the banner display.

After Alcohol Concern alerted them, Marks & Spencer agreed to remove their advertising from this website. In addition, they have taken measures to ensure that none of their alcohol products will feature through any retargeted advertising.

Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

"We were shocked that this little-known advertising method can result in companies, often unknowingly, advertising alcohol straight to children.

"Parents should be able to browse and buy alcohol online without worry that their children will be targeted later on. Evidence shows young people are influenced by alcohol advertising and clearly not enough is being done to protect them.  

"We are satisfied that M&S has responded responsibly and we call on other companies to check where their online adverts are ending up.

"The ASA should investigate to what extent their rules on advertising alcohol online are being broken and do more to protect children.

"With online advertising overtaking TV in 2009 we have growing concerns about the lack of regulation over internet alcohol advertising. It remains a grey area and with most young people regularly spending time online we are concerned about the alcohol adverts and marketing they could be exposed to."

 The worried mother told Alcohol Concern:

 "I was appalled to find alcohol adverts on a kids' website - you would expect your children could surf safely on sites designed for them".

 "Advertising has a huge effect on kids and I thought it was totally inappropriate to promote alcohol to children.

 "I would encourage parents to be aware that this can happen but companies selling alcohol need to be much more careful.

 ENDS

 Notes to Editors

• Please find attached screen grab images of alcohol advertising appearing on www.girlgames1.com. Bookmarks have been removed to maintain anonymity.
• Alcohol Concern is the national agency on alcohol misuse campaigning for effective alcohol policy and improved services for people whose lives are affected by alcohol-related problems.
• Alcohol Concern is a membership body working at a national level to influence alcohol policy and champion best practice locally. We support professionals and organisations by providing expertise, information and guidance. We are a challenging voice to the drinks industry and promote public awareness of alcohol issues
• Marks & Spencer is available for comment, please contact the press office.
• The Advertising Standards Authority British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing, Paragraph 56.5 states: Marketing communications should not be directed at people under 18 through the selection of media, style of presentation, content or context in which they appear. No medium should be used to advertise alcoholic drinks if more than 25% of its audience is under 18 years of age. This Code relates to sites hosted in the UK, however advertisers are committed to respecting the spirit of the code, by not advertising alcohol on mediums designed for and used by children.