Treasury Wine Estates told to change Blossom Hill Spritz pack design

Treasury Wine Estates has agreed to a revamp of the pack design of Blossom Hill Spritz after a complaint was upheld by the regulator.

The Independent Complaints Panel of the Portman Group, the social responsibility and regulatory body for alcohol in the UK, has ruled that the Blossom Hill Spritz 250ml can, the leading wine brand’s first canned spritz product, failed to communicate the alcoholic nature of the drink ‘on its packaging with absolute clarity’.

Treasury Wine Estates, the producer of Blossom Hill Spritz, has already submitted a revised version of the product label to the Portman Group.

“We are disappointed with the decision of the Independent Complaints Panel, given the strength of the evidence we presented before the judgement. However, as a signatory to the Portman Group’s Code of Practice and a company that is committed to the responsible marketing of alcohol and promotion of our brands, we have accepted Panel’s findings and have agreed to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation,” said Ben Blake, Head of Marketing at Treasury Wine Estates.

The Panel noted that while there were some indicators of alcoholic content on the can, such as the ABV, some of the language and imagery used on the product contributed to a sense of confusion when determining whether the product was alcoholic.

The Panel added that the dominant images of fruit on the front label and the use of the word ‘Spritz’, which the Panel recognised as common vernacular across both alcoholic and non-alcoholic sparkling drinks and therefore contributed to the unclear alcoholic nature of the product.

“As always, the Panel exercised diligent consideration in making these rulings and would urge producers to keep in mind the stipulations of the Code when designing and marketing products,” Nicola Williams, chair of the Independent Complaints Panel, said.