Background
This ruling forms part of a wider piece of work on alcohol advertising. The ads were identified for investigation following intelligence gathering by our Active Ad Monitoring system, which uses AI to proactively search for online ads that might break the rules.
Ad description
Two paid-for Facebook and Instagram ads for Jägermeister, an alcoholic beverage, seen in May 2025:
(a) The first ad included a bottle of Jägermeister Manifest, positioned above a pair of cupped hands. Several outlines of stars appeared in the background. The caption stated “Manifesting the best nights of your life. Get your bottle of Jägermeister Manifest […]”.
(b) The second image featured a bottle of Jägermeister on a silver plate, unveiled below a lifted metal cloche. The caption stated “Jägermeister, serving the best night of your life. […]”
Issue
The ASA challenged whether the ads were irresponsible and breached the Code because they implied that alcohol was a key component of the success of a social event.
Response
Mast-Jägermeister UK Ltd t/a Jägermeister explained that “Jägermeister Manifest” was a product name. They alluded to the product name “Manifest” by using the term “manifesting” in ad (a) as it was intrinsically linked to that name.
Regarding ad (b), they said that their ads around “best nights” were based on consumers going out and enjoying nightlife, rather than the need to consume Jägermeister. The use of the silver plate was intended as a light-hearted, humorous reveal of the product. They believed that this type of imagery (and its purpose) was well known in the UK.
Furthermore, they said that the concept of nightlife played a central role in their marketing communications, as this was when their product was best consumed responsibly. The ads formed part of their wider #BestNights campaign where consumers were invited to experience the best of nightlife. Their intention was to send positive messaging to support nightlife.
They accepted the ASA’s assessment, and confirmed that both ads, along with similarly themed ads had been withdrawn. They had conducted a full review of their advertising and said that they would be increasingly mindful of the issues raised as a result of the investigation.
Assessment
Upheld
The CAP Code stated that marketing communications must not imply that drinking alcohol is a key component of the success of a social event. It further stated that marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.
In ad (a) text stated, “Manifesting the best nights of your life”. We considered that consumers were likely to interpret the word “manifesting” in the contemporary sense of bringing about or creating a desired outcome through intention or focus, as well as a reference to the product Jägermeister Manifest shown in ad (a). In that context, we considered the ad suggested consuming the drink would bring about “the best nights of your life” and that it was portrayed as a significant factor in the success of social events.
We considered that impression was reinforced by the image that appeared in ad (a). The bottle of Jägermeister Manifest was shown above cupped hands placed in a worshipping position, alongside imagery of glowing star outlines. We considered that suggested the product was being received as something valuable. Seen alongside the caption, we considered that consumers were likely to interpret the image to mean Jägermeister Manifest held a transformative role and was recognised for its ability to create the ideal social scenario.
In ad (b), a bottle of Jägermeister was unveiled on a silver platter beneath a lifted cloche, accompanied by the text “Jägermeister, serving the best night of your life”. We considered this text implied the drink was directly responsible for enabling successful social events and drinking it would lead to especially enjoyable or memorable social occasions. Furthermore, we considered the formal, ceremonial reveal of the product shown in the image contributed to the impression it was the defining factor of a successful social event.
We acknowledged that the ads formed part of a wider campaign and that Jägermeister intended for the ads to be seen as a positive message supporting nightlife. We nonetheless considered that they both implied alcohol was a key component of social success.
For those reasons, we concluded that the ads were irresponsible and breached the Code.
The ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 18.1 and 18.3 (Alcohol).
Action
The ads must not appear again in the forms investigated. We told Mast-Jägermeister UK Ltd t/a Jägermeister to ensure that their ads were socially responsible and did not imply that alcohol was a key component of the success of a social event.
