ASA rules Guinness tweet ‘not irresponsible’

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has backed Guinness after one of its tweets was accused of encouraging irresponsible alcohol consumption.

The gates of Guinness’ St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin

Alcohol Concern made the complaint to the ASA following a tweet by the Diageo-owned brewer which stated “a good week starts here”, accompanied by a black and white photo of the brewery’s gates.

The alcohol awareness charity claimed the tweet was irresponsible in that it implied that someone’s week could be improved by drinking alcohol.

Defending the tweet, Diageo said it believed the message, in conjunction with a picture of its brewery, would be understood by readers as a reference to the work taking place inside, not a suggestion to consume alcohol.

The ASA agreed, noting that as the ad did not feature any alcoholic drinks, or a social event, it was likely to carry a dual meaning “as an expression of opinion from those who worked at the brewery about the week of work ahead and their enjoyment of their work; and as an indication to the public that Guinness, which began its journey to them at the brewery, could be consumed as part of a “good week”.”

It concluded that neither interpretation amounted to an encouragement to drink irresponsibly.