November 7, 2016

The Facebook page for Joe Charman, seen on 10 June 2016, featured an image of him that showed Hooch branding as well as him drinking a bottle of Hooch.  The page included a video, which was labelled “When its [sic] your round … Make it a Hooch! #OutrageouslyRefreshing”.  He was shown holding three bottles of Hooch at the side of a swimming pool.  He then took a run up and jumped onto an inflatable that was in the water, landing on it on his knees.  He then travelled across the pool knelt on the inflatable while holding the drinks, reaching two other males at the opposite side.  Each of them then drank from the bottles.

The Advertising Standards Authority investigated a complaint that the ad depicted a Vine star popular with young people behaving in a juvenile manner and as such broke rules for marketing alcohol to under-18s.  The ASA considered that showing Joe Charman, who was the main focus of the ad, carrying out a stunt using a swimming pool inflatable depicted behaviour likely to be regarded as juvenile, and therefore likely to be of particular appeal to under-18s.  It concluded that the ad breached CAP Code rule 18.14 (Alcohol).  To read ASA Ruling on Global Brands Ltd (26 October 2016), click here.