This Jack Daniel’s Ad was Banned for Encouraging Reckless Drinking

A Jack Daniel’s ad was banned from the London underground due to allegations of encouraging irresponsible consumption. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

Marketing Beat reported on Wednesday that a Jack Daniel’s advertisement was banned by the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Association for using language that encouraged reckless drinking behaviors.

The ad was displayed at a London tube station in November and depicted a group of young people sitting around a table. A person off-camera poured a bottle of Jack Daniel’s into their empty glasses. The text read, “Shorter days mean we can skip to the good part.”

Although the ad featured text that read, “Remember the good parts. Please drink responsibly,” a complaint to the organization claimed the advertisement was encouraging irresponsible alcohol consumption.

The complaint against the ad claimed language like the word “skip” encouraged individuals to drink earlier due to reduced daylight hours.

A Potential Alcohol Advertising Crackdown Abroad

The U.K. has clearly shifted its stance towards alcohol advertising of late. Ever since the World Health Organization called for a crackdown on alcohol advertising in 2022 after stating that no amount of alcohol consumption is safe for one health. Since then, several countries have made changes.

In October, the Wine Business reported that several speakers at a Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health conference vocalized their beliefs that future crackdowns posed an existential threat to the wine and spirits industry.

The Independent reported on July 27 that the Scottish Government was considering banning alcohol advertisements all together. Although Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the IEA, opined that a complete alcohol ad ban would have “no effect on alcohol consumption overall,” the ban remained on the table.

In November, Ireland banned alcohol advertisements before 9 PM starting in 2025 to lower young people’s exposure to alcohol.

Professionals within the wine and spirits industry like ViniPortugal President Frederico Falcão referred to these regulations as “attack[s]” from “fundamentalists.”

At the conference, wine industry professionals expressed concerns about the new approach countries were taking towards alcohol consumption.

“We call this the de-normalization project,” Portuguese Association for Wine and Spirits Executive Director Ana Isabel Alves said at the conference. “The new narrative is about making alcoholic beverages less socially acceptable, like with tobacco.”

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