Background
Summary of Council decision:
Two issues were investigated, both of which were Upheld.
Ad description
A paid-for TikTok in-feed ad for La Vieille Ferme wine, seen on 9 and 11 March 2026, showed three boxed wine cartons, with text above each carton stated, from left to right: “One to resurrect my soul”, “One for emotional support” and “One to erase today”. A hand with a glass appeared and filled up a cup from each carton.
The ad contained text which stated, “My health? Depends on all three [melting face emoji] #chickenwine #lavieilleferme #fyp #selfcare”, followed by the headline “Finding Balance: Emotional Support and Self-Care”, followed by text stating “Maintaining good health often hinges on a variety of factors, particularly emotional support, personal rejuvenation, and self-care practices. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in ensuring we lead balanced and fulfilling lives.
Emotional support is vital for our mental health. It can come from various sources—friends, family, or even communities. Recognizing the importance of having someone to lean on during tough times is fundamental in enhancing our overall well-being. When we feel emotionally supported, we are better equipped to handle stressors and daily challenges.
Additionally, taking time to rejuvenate the soul is equally important. It’s essential to engage in activities that nourish our spirit and allow us to reconnect with what truly matters to us. This could range from hobbies that bring joy, practicing mindfulness, or simply spending time in nature. Such practices not only help to improve our mood but also play a significant role in boosting our mental resilience.
Lastly, self-care is a practice that cannot be overlooked. It involves taking deliberate actions to care for our physical, emotional, and mental health. Incorporating self-care routines in our daily life can lead to significant improvements in how we feel physically and emotionally. Simple acts such as ensuring adequate rest, eating nourishing foods, and allowing time for personal interests can have profound impacts on our overall health.
In conclusion, the intersection of emotional support, personal rejuvenation, and self-care fundamentally determines our health. Prioritizing these elements can lead to a more balanced and enriched life. What are some self-care practices you engage in? How do they help you maintain emotional balance? Engage in a conversation about the importance of recognizing emotional needs and personal rejuvenation in the journey toward improved health.
Keywords: emotional support for well-being, self-care practices, health and wellness tips, rejuvenating the soul, balancing emotional health, importance of self-care, nurturing mental health, holistic well-being strategies, self-care routines for health, emotional healing techniques.”
Issue
1. The complainants challenged whether the ad implied alcohol had therapeutic qualities and portrayed it as capable of changing mood and as a source of nourishment.
2. One complainant, who believed the reference to “erase today” encouraged excessive drinking, also challenged whether the ad was likely to lead people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise and was therefore irresponsible.
Response
Perrin Et Fils t/a La Vieille Ferme said they recognised the concerns raised, and had made internal improvements to help ensure future compliance with the Code.
TikTok said they had reviewed the content and had been removed it from their platform for violating their advertising policies.
Assessment
1. & 2. Upheld.
The CAP Code stated that marketing communications must not imply that alcohol had therapeutic qualities and must not portray alcohol as capable of changing mood, or as a source of nourishment. It also stated that ads for alcohol must not make any health claims which were claims that stated, suggested, or implied that a relationship existed between a food or drink or one of its constituents and health. That included references to general benefits of a food or drink for overall good health or health-related well-being. The Code also stated that marketing communications that featured or referred to alcoholic drinks must be socially responsible and must contain nothing that was likely to lead people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise. For example, they should not encourage excessive drinking.
The ASA considered that the references on the wine cartons shown in the ad “One to resurrect my soul” and “One for emotional support” implied the wine could provide emotional benefit or support and improve or lift someone’s mood. We considered that “One to erase today”, in the context of those claims, positioned alcohol as a way to cope with or distract from difficult times and to help deal with the stress of a hard day. We considered that those three references implied that alcohol had therapeutic qualities and portrayed alcohol as being able to change mood.
We also considered that the text in the post which stated “My health? Depends on all three [melting face emoji] #chickenwine #lavieilleferme” as well as the references to mental health further implied that drinking alcohol, and in particular the featured wine, had a positive impact on health and well-being and were health claims that were not permitted under the Code. We considered that the headline “Finding Balance: Emotional Support and Self-Care”, and the accompanying text about emotional support, rejuvenation, and self-care contributing to overall health and well-being, in the context of an ad for alcohol, would likely be interpreted as suggesting that drinking the wine formed part of a self-care and well-being routine. We considered the “Keywords” at the bottom of the ad reinforced that impression because they referred to emotional support, nurturing mental health, and emotional healing.
Therefore, we considered the ad implied that alcohol had therapeutic qualities, portrayed alcohol as capable of improving mood and being a source of emotional nourishment and featured health claims for an alcoholic drink that were not permitted under the Code.
We also considered that some consumers would have interpreted the claim “One to erase today”, in the context of an ad for alcohol, as meaning drinking excessively to the point of erasing one’s memory, in order to cope with, and forget, a difficult day. While there was no indication as to the timeframe the three boxes of wine in the ad were being consumed, we considered that this reference would likely be understood to mean drinking to the point of memory loss and therefore promoted a drinking style that was unwise. We considered that impression was enhanced by the visuals in the ad which showed someone filling their glass repeatedly from three large boxes of wine. It was therefore considered the ad encouraged excessive consumption of alcohol.
For the reasons set out above, because the ad implied that drinking alcohol could enhance one’s mood and emotional well-being, which implied that alcohol had therapeutic qualities, and also contained health claims that were not permitted under the Code, plus it encouraged excessive drinking, we concluded that it was irresponsible and breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 18.1, 18.7, 18.17 (Alcohol).
Action
The ads must not appear again in the form complained of. We told Perrin Et Fils t/a La Vieille Ferme. Ltd not to imply that alcohol had therapeutic qualities, portray alcohol as being capable of changing mood or as a source of nourishment or make health claims in ads for alcohol. We also told them to ensure marketing communications that featured or referred to alcoholic drinks must be socially responsible and must contain nothing that was likely to lead people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise. For example, they must not encourage excessive drinking.
