A TikTok post in which a young influencer promoted an alcohol brand by saying it has “only 63 calories a can” and would “actually get you drunk” has been banned. Rosie Breen’s video for Whisp hard seltzer alcoholic drinks in February was titled: “3 reasons I drink Whisp Alcohol” and went on to show her dancing with a can in each hand and and pointing to further captions including: “Im [sic] on my weight loss journey & they’re only 63 calories a can”, and “They actually get you drunk”.
A viewer complained that the calorie claim was not permitted for alcoholic drinks and the ad was irresponsible because it encouraged excessive drinking. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated whether the ad breached advertising regulations for featuring someone who was, or seemed to be, under 25 years of age.
Wild Drinks Group, trading as Whisp Drinks, said it would remove the post. Breen, who has 428,000 TikTok followers, said that at the time she was new to working with brands and unaware of the sensitive nature of the message and of advertising rules relating to non-permitted weight-control claims for alcohol products.
