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Promoting and recommending alcoholic drinks on Instagram is illegal advertising. This was established by a French court, which ordered the platform to remove 37 posts from 20 influencers who have more than 5 million subscribers between them. In doing so, the court upheld a complaint by the organisation Addictions France, which claimed that the influencers' advertising encouraged excessive alcohol consumption, especially in the under-25 age group, and justified the ruling as follows: "It is clear that these publications appealed to a very large number of subscribers by associating images of festive moments, travel, moments of relaxation, holidays and the influencers' daily lives. By seeking to capitalise on the notoriety of Instagram account holders to promote alcoholic beverages, the alcohol brands exceed the legal framework set out in the Public Health Act and thus constitute illegal advertising".
The Meta Group, owner of Instagram and Facebook, stated: "We have implemented the court's decision, it is not final and can be appealed." The brands affected include well-known spirits brands as well as the champagne house Laurent Perrier.
It was only in December that Addictions France obtained a court judgement against the beer brand Budweiser, as it had inadmissibly established a "clear link" between beer consumption and the World Cup. This would link the brand to the joy of the fans during the football tournament when France reached the final. Budweiser's parent company AB InBev had to remove all advertising and products featuring such images for three months.
(al / Source: drinksbusiness; Photo: 123rf)