• by Joe Mandese , September 14, 2021

A dozen agencies -- including Dentsu, Havas, McCann and Publicis -- have joined a pledge to adhere to new global standards for influencer marketing of alcohol and to promote more responsible depictions of drinking, especially to prevent minors from being exposed to it.

The initiative, organized by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), shoe members include leading beer, wine and spirits marketers, includes the following steps to promote responsible influencer marketing of alcoholic products:

• A set of five specific safeguards that apply to any content involving influencers who work with the leading beer, wine, and spirits producers.

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  Tools and videos that support all alcohol brands and influencers to follow robust responsible marketing practices when creating content.

• Clear commitments to market responsibly, including not making health claims, promoting illegal or excessive consumption, or positioning abstinence negatively.

The initiative follows previous actions by IARD members to safeguard alcohol advertising online, including its Digital Guiding Principles, as well as agreements with YouTube, Facebook, and Snapchat to improve age screening, enabling users to opt out of alcohol marketing, and allowing content creators to “age-gate” their posts.