Complaint Claiming Gin Bottle With Bright Colors Appealed to Children Not Upheld

A complaint lodged against a limited-edition bottling of gin exclusively sold through the Scottish National Party claims that the bottle’s bright colors could make it appealing to individuals under 18. (Photo: Portman Group)

On Friday, the United Kingdom’s Independent Complaints Panel dismissed a complaint from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association against YES Gin over its bottle’s bright colors appealing to children.

According to the Panel, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association lodged a complaint against the labeling of YES Gin, expressing doubts about its transparency as an alcoholic beverage. The Association cited concerns regarding the size and placement of the text for alcohol content, the use of bright colors and the potential appeal to minors.

“The use of bright colours with the legibility issues above may mean that this product is appealing to under-18’s,” the complaint stated.

In response, the company behind YES Gin explained that the spirit was developed by an independent distiller on their request and exclusively sold through Scottish National Party channels. The company emphasized its commitment to compliance and mentioned changes made to the label in response to concerns raised by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

Assessing the case, the Panel considered two key Code rules: 3.1 and 3.2(h). The former mandates absolute clarity in communicating a drink’s alcoholic nature on its packaging. The latter addresses any potential appeal to under-18s. Despite the complainant’s assertions, the panel upheld both these Code rules, implying that the packaging adhered to the stated standards.

Regarding alcohol clarity, the panel welcomed the company’s label adjustments to enhance transparency. However, they emphasized that the original packaging needed further examination due to other concerns raised. Notably, the label’s simplicity and placement of mandatory information, such as alcohol by volume (ABV), were scrutinized.

The Panel noted the difficulty of reading small white text on a clear background and affirmed that the ABV text didn’t meet the minimum font size required by labeling legislation. While recognizing these issues, the panel underscored that the packaging as a whole conveyed enough information to establish the product’s alcoholic nature.

Turning to the question of youth appeal, the Panel assessed the packaging’s use of bright colors and whether they might entice minors. They acknowledged the appeal of vivid colors but concluded that, in this case, the packaging did not have a specific appeal to under-18s, considering factors such as design simplicity, absence of child-centric elements and the bottle’s shape being normal for a gin.

“Producers should always ensure that product information is clearly displayed on packaging and is readable to consumers,” said the chair of the Independent Complaints Panel, Nicola Williams, per The Spirits Business. “They should also consider how bright colours could appeal to children.”

“In this case, it was clear from the overall impression of the product it was an alcoholic drink and did not have a particular appeal to children.”

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