Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
The Portman Group will open the door to television for many liquor companies, which could have a negative effect to British audiences, especially children.
Alcohol advertising is strictly regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). However, the government is currently consulting on allowing product placement in television programs. And these products could very well include liquor products.
The Portman Group explained: ?If, however, there is insufficient control on alcohol product placement, it could lead to some less scrupulous companies abandoning other strictly-regulated media in favour of high-profile product placement through which they could convey brand associations (for example, with excessive or inappropriate consumption, sexual success etc) that they could not convey through other forms of marketing.?
The group says that it the current ad codes are not applicable to product placement, then there should be a prohibition on alcohol product placement.
?It could be far more difficult to control the message in product placement than with advertising,? commented David Poley, chief of Portman Group. The danger is that less scrupulous companies would exploit this. We could see all kinds of unwise and unhealthy drinking portrayals. We do not want to see product placement unless it can be regulated to the same high standards as all other alcohol marketing.?
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
