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Promoting and recommending alcoholic drinks on Instagram is illegal advertising. This is what a French court found and ordered the platform to remove 37 posts by 20 influencers who together have more than 5 million subscribers. In doing so, the court upheld a lawsuit filed by the organisation Addictions France, which claimed that the influencers' advertisements encourage excessive alcohol consumption, especially among the under-25 age group, and justified the ruling as follows: "It is clear that these postings appealed to a very large number of subscribers through the association of images of festive moments, travel, moments of relaxation, holidays and the daily life of the influencers. By attempting to use the notoriety of Instagram account holders to promote alcoholic beverages, the alcohol brands are exceeding the legal framework stated in the Public Health Act and thus constitute illegal advertising.".
Meta Group, owner of Instagram and Facebook, said, "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 champagne house Laurent Perrier.
It was only in December that Addictions France obtained a court ruling against beer brand Budweiser for improperly making a "clear link" between beer consumption and the World Cup. This would link the brand to the joy of 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 subjects for three months.
(al / source: drinksbusiness; photo: 123rf)