Children Exposed to Alcohol Ads by Diageo on Family-Friendly Shows
Posted on September 12, 2024 in Diageo, Promotion, AustraliaDiageo, the global alcohol giant behind brands like Smirnoff, Gordon’s Gin, Johnny Walker, and Baileys, has come under fire for exposing children in Australia to alcohol advertisements on streaming platforms. Senator David Pocock’s office uncovered that these ads were being shown during family-friendly shows like Lego Masters and Australian Ninja Warrior, often airing in prime viewing hours between 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM, when children are most likely to be watching.
Unlike free-to-air TV, where alcohol ads are restricted during children’s viewing hours in Australia, streaming platforms remain largely unregulated. This loophole has allowed Diageo and other alcohol companies to target young viewers with alcohol ads, raising serious public health concerns.
Senator Pocock is now pushing for legislative reform to ensure alcohol advertising on streaming platforms is regulated just as strictly as on traditional TV. He argues that stronger rules are needed to prevent alcohol companies from reaching impressionable audiences and exposing them to harmful messaging.
Promotion, or any marketing strategies, is Big Alcohol’s activity to drive alcohol availability and acceptability, to perpetuate the alcohol norm, and to place alcohol at the center of people’s thoughts and preferences, communities’ practices, and societies’ customs. The focus of this DUBIOUS FIVE strategy is the people and their beliefs about alcohol products, the public and their attitudes about and behavior around alcohol products, and the consumers and how much, how often they buy and consume alcohol brands.