Background
This ad was identified for investigation by the ASA as part of a wider project on alcohol advertising.Ad description
A paid-for Facebook and Instagram ad for Locksley Distilling Co. Ltd seen in April 2025:
a. The Facebook ad featured an image of a labelled bottle of gin. Text above the bottle stated “There’s gin that’s strong. And then there’s Navy Strength”. Additional text in the body of the ad stated, “If gin’s your thing, it’s time to meet VSOT – Navy Strength, Very Special Old Tom Gin”.
b. The Instagram ad featured the same content as ad (a).
Issue
The ASA challenged whether the ad implied that a drink may be preferred because of its alcohol content.
Response
Locksley Distilling Co. Ltd said they did not intentionally try to imply that a drink may be preferred because of its alcohol content, rather to differentiate their product from other similar strength beverages in a competitive marketplace.
They said that they had instructed their advertising agency to amend the wording in the ad, so there was no comparison of ABV, nor any implication that a stronger drink was better or preferred.
They said that their agency had removed the ad immediately, and would ensure that they adhered to the CAP Code in the future.
Assessment
Upheld
The CAP Code allowed that marketing communications may give factual information about the alcoholic strength of a drink. However, they must not imply that a drink may be preferred because of its alcohol content or intoxicating effect.
The ads stated, “There’s gin that’s strong. And then there’s Navy Strength”, alongside an image of a bottle of gin. We considered that the phrasing contrasted the advertised gin with other gins, positioning its higher strength as a desirable feature. We considered that statement went beyond a factual presentation of information about the product’s strength, because it emphasised the higher alcoholic strength of the product and suggested it may be preferred because of that.
Whilst we welcomed Locksley Distilling Co.’s immediate action to remove the ads, we nonetheless considered that they both implied that a drink may be preferred because of its alcohol content.
For those reasons, we concluded that they breached the Code.
The ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 18.1 and 18.9 (Alcohol).
Action
The ads must not appear again in the form complained of. We told Locksley Distilling Co. Ltd not to imply that a drink may be preferred because of its alcohol content.
