Ads for an alcohol brand shared on Ellie Goulding’s Facebook page have been banned after the singer claimed the drink was low in calories and sugar-free.
The Love Me Like You Do singer, who is the founder and co-owner of Served Drinks, posted two ads for the alcoholic soda on her Facebook page in February.
“If you’re like me, you love to drink, but you also enjoy an active lifestyle. My delicious alcoholic sparkling water is the best of both worlds,” said the former.
The second read: “You know I like to drink, but I also really care about my well-being. Since ditching my alcoholic soda, there’s been no going back for me!”
In a video, Goulding is seen saying: “I love a drink as I talk about it a lot on my social media, but I also care about my health… That’s why I want to tell you about my new drink Served. So my new Drink Served is hard seltzer, it has 57 calories…”
Additional text in the posts read: “57 cal … 4 vol%.”
A separate email from Served Drinks, seen on January 18, reads: “Forget Dry January… Is Dry January getting a little dry? There’s no reason you can’t enjoy a drink without harming you! Our drinks have only 57 calories, 0g of sugar and are 4% ABV and are the perfect choice for a drink without any guilt.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 21 complaints about the brand’s ad, including that calorie and sugar claims were nutrition claims not allowed for alcoholic drinks, and that Goulding’s statement that she liked a drink while enjoys an active lifestyle and care for her well-being are general health claims that are also not allowed for alcoholic beverages.
Some complained that the email ad suggested drinking alcohol might be indispensable and could overcome boredom by encouraging people to break Dry January.
Served Drinks said it understood that advertisers were allowed to provide factual information about the nutritional content of their products, including calorie content, provided there was no suggestion that the drink had the special benefit of being low in calories.
They said the posts on Goulding’s Facebook page were intended to describe her lifestyle and what was important to her, and could not reasonably be construed as referring to the product itself and therefore not general health claims.
The ASA said: “Because the ads included nutrition claims that the product was low in calories and sugar-free, which are not permitted nutrition claims for alcohol products, we concluded that they were in breach of the Code.”
He ruled that the three ads should not appear again in their current form, adding: “We have told Served Drinks not to make health claims or unauthorized nutrition claims about alcoholic drinks or imply that alcohol can beat boredom in their ads.” “
Served Drinks said: “We are committed to responsible advertising and work closely with organizations such as CAP (Committee on Advertising Practice) in developing campaign materials.
“While we are disappointed that the appeals were partially upheld, we respect the ASA’s decision. All ads have been removed immediately and will not be displayed again.”
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