Advertising and Media Bodies Unite Against Scottish Alcohol Advertising Consultation’s Proposals

9 March 2023:  Advertising bodies and media organisations have reacted strongly against the Scottish Government’s proposals to ban alcohol advertising and marketing in their responses to the Government’s consultation, which ends today.

The Advertising Association, ISBA and the IPA, which represent their members in Scotland, have taken the unprecedented step of issuing a joint public statement, alongside the Marketing Society Scotland, the British Promotional Merchandise Association, the Cinema Advertising Association and the UK Cinema Association, the Scottish Newspaper Society, and Outsmart, saying as follows:

“We stand together and publicly reject the Scottish Government’s proposals to introduce swingeing alcohol advertising and marketing bans. Whilst we understand the Government’s desire to reduce alcohol consumption harms in Scotland, there is no evidence that advertising bans will achieve that aim. The proposals set out by the Scottish Government will fail to address the problem. Such measures will be harmful to the Scottish economy – including local communities – to Scotland’s advertising and creative industries, and to the Scottish media including publishers, broadcasters and cinemas, as well as the outdoor advertising sector. At the end of the day, we are talking about an impact on Scottish businesses, Scottish jobs and Scottish communities for no discernible benefit. 

We call for a fundamental re-think of the proposals with a focus on targeted and practical policies that will facilitate behaviour change without damaging the Scottish economy and the advertising and creative industries that are important to the entrepreneurial Scotland that the Scottish Government wants to see.”

Please follow this link to download the AA’s response to the consultation.

About this coalition

About the Advertising Association

The Advertising Association promotes the role, rights and responsibilities of advertising – trusted, inclusive and sustainable – and its impact on individuals, the economy and society. Responsible businesses understand that there is little point in an advertisement that people cannot trust. That’s why, over 50 years ago, the Advertising Association led UK advertising towards a system of independent self-regulation which has since been adopted around the world. There are nearly thirty UK trade associations representing advertising, media and marketing. Through the Advertising Association they come together with a single-voice when speaking to policy-makers and influencers.

About the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA)

ISBA is the only body representing the UK’s leading advertisers. Speaking with one voice on behalf of over 3,000 brands, we advocate a trusted advertising environment – transparent, accountable and effectively regulated. Working with our network of senior marketers, we help our members make better decisions both now and for the future. ISBA is a member of the Advertising Association and represents advertisers on the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, sister organisations of the Advertising Standards Association, which are responsible for writing the Advertising Codes. We are also members of the World Federation of Advertisers. We are able to use our leadership role in such bodies to set and promote high industry standards as well as a robust self-regulatory regime.

About the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)

Incorporated by Royal Charter, the IPA’s role is: to advance the value, theory and practice of advertising, media and marketing communications; to promote best practice standards in these fields; and to ensure that the work it does will benefit the public, the wider business community and the national economy. It has a well-earned reputation for thought leadership, best practice and continuous professional development and also provides core support and advisory services. Its membership base is predominantly made up of corporate members who collectively handle over 85% of the UK’s annual £22bn ad spend and who represent over 4,000 brands and employ over 25,000 staff. Based in the United Kingdom for nearly 100 years, IPA programmes can be found in more than 60 countries worldwide.

About the Marketing Society

The Marketing Society is a membership organisation for marketing professionals that also promotes the value of marketing to both the economy and the wider society. 87 leading companies across all industry sectors in Scotland are members.

About the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA)

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) is the professional body serving the £1.5 billion pound promotional products industry in the UK and Northern Ireland. A trusted industry association for over 50 years, the BPMA offers advice and guidance to buyers, leads the promotional merchandise industry in delivering service excellence and compliance through a strict Code of Conduct. Together with driving best practice and governance in areas such as quality, accurate advertising, fair trade terms and managing customer complaints, the BPMA is at the heart of promoting the merchandise industry and UK business.

About the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA)

The Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) is the Trade Association of cinema advertising contractors operating in the UK. One of the functions of The CAA is to monitor and maintain standards of advertising exhibition in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

About the UK Cinema Association

The UK Cinema Association (UKCA) represents the interests of over 90 per cent of UK cinema operators by number and market share. The UKCA membership includes single screen/owner managed sites as well as the largest circuit and multiplex operators. The UKCA advocates on behalf of the UK cinema sector at international, national, regional and local level.

About the Scottish Newspaper Society

 The Scottish Newspaper Society represents the interests of Scottish national, regional and local news publishers, around 80 titles including the Scottish editions of UK nationals to small independent publishers.

About Outsmart

 Outsmart is the UK trade body for the Out of Home (OOH) industry. We collaborate with all parts of the industry to provide a central reference point for our members, aiming to protect and advance their relationships with the advertising community, the public and national and local government.