Regulator raps Heineken for not including ABV prominently in 0.0 ad

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled on a paid-for online ad by Heineken UK for its alcohol-free beer, Heineken 0.0, following a complaint about its compliance with advertising standards.

The ASA upheld one issue concerning the ABV statement in the ad but dismissed another on promoting drink driving.

The advertisement, seen on July 8, 2024, featured Formula One driver Max Verstappen holding a bottle of Heineken 0.0, accompanied by the tagline, “The best driver is the one who is not drinking. Unless it’s Heineken 0.0.” The ad included references to responsible drinking and the Drink Aware website, as well as a logo stating, “When You Drive, Never Drink.”

Two concerns were raised in the complaint about whether the ad failed to include a prominent statement of the product’s alcohol by volume (ABV) and whether the ad irresponsibly encouraged drink driving.

Heineken UK defended the ad, stating it was part of their long-standing “When You Drive, Never Drink” campaign in partnership with Formula One, designed to promote responsible drinking. They argued that the ad’s messaging clearly distinguished Heineken 0.0 as an alcohol-free product, with the bottle prominently displayed and featuring blue labeling typically associated with their alcohol-free range.

Heineken also highlighted that the tagline, “The best driver is the one who is not drinking. Unless it’s Heineken 0.0,” reinforced the responsible drinking message. While acknowledging the use of a standard Heineken logo rather than the 0.0 logo, they maintained that the ad discouraged drink driving and emphasised that Max Verstappen was not depicted in a driving context.

Heineken committed to using the Heineken 0.0 logo in future campaigns to address the ASA's concerns.

The ASA, however, determined that the ad breached the CAP Code by failing to provide a sufficiently prominent statement of the product’s ABV. While the bottle’s label included the ABV, the text was small and not prominently displayed in the ad, which focused primarily on Verstappen.

The ASA concluded that the ad violated CAP Code rule 18.19, which requires marketing for alcohol alternatives to include a prominent ABV statement.

The ASA dismissed concerns that the ad irresponsibly promoted drink driving, noting that the ad explicitly conveyed a responsible drinking message. Although the Heineken logo used was typically associated with alcoholic beverages and the ABV statement was not prominent, the overall context made it clear that Heineken 0.0 is an alcohol-free product suitable for consumption before driving, the regulator said.

The ASA has banned the ad in its current form and instructed Heineken to ensure future advertisements for alcohol-free products prominently display the ABV.