The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry is currently preparing to inspect the content of alcohol advertisements before their release. The Federation is also overhauling its guidelines for marketing communications concerning alcoholic beverages.
Advertising is already strictly supervised in Finland. The authorities monitor the legality of advertisements and the Council of Ethics in Advertising sees that advertisements adhere to good practice. The members of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry bear their social responsibility and are committed to the responsible advertising of alcoholic beverages. The Federation has self-regulatory guidelines that member companies must adhere to in their marketing communications.
“Advertising already has to be responsible and to follow good practice. However, we’ve been considering what else we can do. We’ve been listening to a variety of interest groups and have decided to prepare for the preliminary inspection of alcohol advertisements. We’re currently awaiting the policy on alcohol advertising and are hoping that it’ll leave us room to manoeuvre,” says Elina Ussa, Managing Director of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry.
In the EU, only France and Sweden have stricter advertising legislation than Finland. Alcohol advertising is therefore less regulated in 24 EU countries than it is in Finland. These countries rely on self-regulation within the industry. Self-regulatory guidelines are always stricter and more detailed than those laid down in law.
The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry has campaigned against alcohol abuse and has re-launched its ‘Drunk – You’re a Fool’ awareness campaign. The campaign, which is currently running as television commercials and outdoor advertisements, seeks to alter adult attitudes to alcohol and to question the culture of drunkenness.
For additional information, contact:
The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry
Managing Director Elina Ussa, tel. +358 (0)9 148 871 (ETL exchange), GSM +358 (0)45 269 7711
Communications Manager Outi Jalonen, tel. +358 (0)9 148 871 (ETL exchange), GSM +358 (0)50 370 8677
The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry promotes the interests of producers of beer, cider, long drinks, soft drinks and mineral waters in Finland. Its members are Oy Hartwall Ab, Nokian Panimo Oy, Olvi Oyj and Oy Sinebrychoff Ab. The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry operates in connection with the Finnish Food and Drink Industries Federation and represents Finland’s third largest industry in the food and drink branch in terms of the value of production.