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Jinro accepts alcohol advertising breach
Korean soju Jinro has been found guilty of breaking the UK’s alcohol advertising rules following a complaint against its ‘Easy To Drink, Drink To Link’ campaign.
The soju brand is a sponsor of All Points East festival, which takes place annually in London in August, and featured the line ‘Easy To Drink, Drink To Link’ on a sign at an on-site bar as part of its promotional activity.
This was met with a complaint from a member of the public, who said: “The photo in this complaint shows a bar at ‘All Points East’, a music festival in Victoria Park, London… My complaint is regarding the phrase ‘drink to link’. In this context I believe ‘link’ means ‘to have (typically casual) sexual relations with’.”
Following a review by The Portman Group’s independent complaints panel (ICP), the complaint has been upheld under two Code of Practice rulings: Code rule 3.2, which states ‘a drink, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way suggest any association with sexual activity or sexual success’, and rule 3.2, which states ‘it should also not suggest that consumption of the drink can lead to social success or popularity’.
In response to the complaint, Jinro countered that the line’s messaging ‘conveyed the brand’s global compatibility’, where consumers could enjoy an alcoholic beverage alongside food, family, friends, colleagues and places, in the sense of ‘anyone, anywhere with anything’.
However, the panel raised concerns about the context of the word ‘link’ in regards to dating and how it is associated with sexual activity with younger crowds. It also agreed the messaging suggested drinking Jinro could ‘lead to social success or popularity’.
Unintentional mistake, Jinro says
Following the panel’s decision, Jinro confirmed that its future promotional activity will not have the line ‘Drink to Link’ in the UK again.
Deuk-yeol Yoo, assistant manager of global marketing for Jinro’s parent company, HiteJinro, said: “We respect the decision of the Portman Group and will not use the disputed phrase in the UK in accordance with their recommendation.
“We strongly wish to convey that our tagline was never intended to be associated with sexual activity or sexual success, nor to suggest that alcohol consumption could lead to social success or popularity.
“Additionally, this misunderstanding arose due to differences in expression between Korean and English.”
The UK is a key international market for Jinro, as the brand has reported a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 73% in the region over the last three years.
The chair of the independent complaints panel, Rachel Childs, added: “This is a timely reminder that the Portman Group’s Code of Practice applies to all alcohol marketed in the UK, and not just that of UK producers.
“While the panel accepted that both breaches of the Code were inadvertent in this instance, producers should bear in mind that where there is often a lack of context in promotional activity, some phrases may have multiple meanings and that it’s important to be mindful of cultural differences.”
Last month, the Portman Group doubled down on its efforts to regulate alcohol marketing, launching a ‘significant’ audit across 500 alcoholic drinks in Great Britain.
The Code of Practice for the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks was first published in 1996.
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