The packaging of Bartex’s Red Army Vodka has breached alcohol responsibility rules for its association with violence and aggression.
A complaint, submitted by the Independent Complaints Panel of the Responsible Retailing Code of Northern Ireland, claimed the product was closely linked with violent, aggressive, dangerous or anti-social behaviour.
In response to the complaint, Bartex stated the product was simply a glass bottle shaped as a gun, sold in a gift pack, and therefore had no association with weapons or violent behaviour. They later reiterated that it was not their intention to 'create or promote violence', stating the company produced alcohol, not weapons.
After considering the name, packaging and overall presentation of the product, the Portman Group's Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) concluded that the name Red Army, in the context of the packaging, together with the packaging itself, were entirely inappropriate for an alcoholic drink, as they suggested a direct association with violent and dangerous behaviour.
As a result, the ICP found the product to be in breach of Code paragraph 3.2(b).
Henry Ashworth, Chief Executive of the Portman Group, which provides the Secretariat for the Independent Complaints Panel, said:
"Strict UK alcohol marketing rules specifically prohibit an alcoholic drink from being sold if it has any association with bravado, or with violent, aggressive, dangerous or anti-social behaviour. On this occasion, the Panel ruled that the product name in the context of the packaging, together with the packaging itself, was too strongly linked to these themes. We therefore appeal to retailers not to stock the product its current packaging after 20 June."
A Retailer Alert Bulletin has been issued instructing licensees and retailers not to place orders for stocks of Red Army Vodka in its current packaging after 20 June 2014.