A complaint against a Jam Shed wine point of sale display has not been upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel.
A member of the public was concerned the display, with the marketing slogan ‘wine for drinking, not overthinking,’ would promote irresponsible and excessive consumption.
While the Panel thought the slogan on its own might be seen as a green light to get drunk, it also stressed the importance of considering it in a wider marketing context.
It its defence, Jam Shed said it was a well-known brand marketed on being a simple choice for consumers intimidated by the wine category.
The Panel considered that the brand identity provided a certain level of context to the intended meaning of the slogan but that there was an element of ambiguity as to the intended meaning of ‘overthinking’.
After much deliberation, the Panel concluded that while the wording was very close to the line of acceptability, the marketing material did not encourage immoderate or irresponsible consumption.
Despite the verdict, Jam Shed voluntarily removed the display and confirmed it would not use the phrase in future campaigns.
