Background
Offensive advertising: Pure Wines Ltd breaks UK advertising rules for linking alcohol to seduction and sexual activity on the www.purewines.co.uk website.
The ASA investigated an ad on the www.purewines.co.uk website for a wine named “JUNG & SEXY *PET-NAT”. An illustration on the label of the bottle showed a woman from the neck down, with her breasts exposed, drinking a glass of wine. Text in the ad stated “R-Rated” and “This dark rosé Pet Nat wine is less provocative than its label but is as entertaining at the same time.”
The ASA considered that the way the model was posed and styled on the label, including that her breasts were deliberately exposed, meant that the image would be seen as sexually suggestive and featured a seductive pose. It therefore considered it was inherently sexual in nature. The ASA also considered that the term “r-rated” would be understood to refer to films containing adult themes, such as sexual activity. And the additional text, when viewed in conjunction with the image of the woman, would be understood as an explicit reference to the sexually suggestive pose and styling on the label and also reinforced the depiction of the woman as sexual in nature. The ASA therefore concluded that the ads linked alcohol with seduction and sexual activity in breach of the CAP Code.The CAP Compliance team contacted Pure Wines but, in the absence of an assurance to amend their website to comply with the Code, took the decision on 7 September 2022 to place their company details on this section of the ASA website.
On review, the CAP Compliance team noted that the text in the ad at the time of the investigation had been replaced, but that the image of the label remained, and as per the ASA ruling, that this was inherently sexual in nature. Because of Pure Wine Ltd's continued non-compliance, we took the decision on 8 May 2024 to reissue its company details on this section of the ASA website.
These details shall remain in place until such time as Pure Wines has removed or appropriately amended the www.purewines.co.uk website to comply with the CAP Code.
