Producer:
Jinro Soju
Complaint:
The photo in this complaint shows a bar at ‘All Points East’, a music festival in Victoria Park, London. The bar was branded around Jinro Soju and sold its products. The photograph was taken on 17 August 2024.
Above the bar was a large backlit neon sign with the slogan ‘easy to drink / drink to link’. The sign and bar was in the main food and drink area of the festival and visible from far away. Attendance at All Points East is around 40,000 people, overwhelmingly young people.
My complaint is regarding the phrase ‘drink to link’. In this context I believe ‘link’ means ‘to have (typically casual) sexual relations with’. This clearly falls fowl of rule 3.2(d) by suggesting the consumption of alcohol will lead to sexual success.
Even were it suggested ‘link’ meant to create non-sexual, social relationships, this would still breach rule 3.2(e). However, in my view the majority of the young and diverse audience in attendance would have absolutely understood the sign to be referring to sex, or at the very least having a dual meaning, and any suggestion otherwise would be disingenuous in my view.
Complainant:
Member of the public
Decision:
Under Code paragraph 3.2(d)
3.2(d) A drink, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way suggest any association with sexual activity or sexual success.
UPHELD
Under Code paragraph 3.2(e)
3.2(e) A drink, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way suggest that consumption of the drink can lead to social success or popularity.
UPHELD
The company’s submission
The company explained that it was committed to complying with regulatory requirements and responsible alcohol marketing standards. The company highlighted that all of its drinks packaging complied with required regulatory labelling for alcoholic beverages and responsible drinking messages were included in various ways to promote responsible consumption.
In regard to the complaint, the company stated that ‘link’ did not refer in this context to physical relationships. Instead, link was used to refer to the culture of the Korean people who link their everyday relationships through drinking, reflecting the deeper human connection beyond just drinking. The company stated that there was absolutely no intention to suggest any association with social success or sexual connotations in the branding. The company explained that Jinro was a representative drink brand of South Korea with 100 years of history. The company stated that it had been enjoyed by the Korean public for a century in various places and occasions and that the combination of food and soju was established in Korean culture. The company explained that the line conveyed Jinro Soju’s global compatibility, where consumers could enjoy a quality alcoholic beverage alongside food, family, friends, colleagues and places (“joyful spaces”), indeed anyone, anywhere with anything. Therefore, the tag line conveyed that Jinro Soju was a drink that complemented positive experiences without any sexual or social implications.
Finally, the company reiterated that it continuously strived to uphold ESG principles as well as relevant laws and guidelines to foster a responsible drinking culture and marketing practices. However, the company stated it would be willing to remove the line from the UK market if required.
The Panel’s assessment
3.2(d)
The Panel considered the promotional activity and discussed whether it created any association with sexual activity and/or sexual success as raised by the complainant. The Panel noted that the material appeared in a festival environment and prominently displayed the line ‘Easy To Drink, Drink To Link’. The Panel discussed the company’s response which explained that Jinro Soju was a South Korean product and in South Korean culture pairing Soju with different foods was commonplace. The Panel considered that from the company’s perspective, the line ‘Easy To Drink, Drink To Link’ was therefore intended to communicate this cultural practice. The Panel acknowledged the company’s intended meaning but stated that it was important to consider how the promotional activity would be interpreted by UK consumers.
The Panel considered the line ‘Easy To Drink, Drink To Link’ and noted that there was no further context to clarify that it related to pairing the drink with food. The Panel discussed that ‘link’ in the UK was not generally used to refer to a practice of pairing something with food and instead had other well-known meanings. The Panel considered that in the context of dating ‘link’ was used as a slang word to refer to having sex with a romantic partner with the relationship sometimes kept a secret, or at the least discreet and without commitment. The Panel discussed that particularly within a younger festival demographic, the word ‘link’ was commonly used in this context and therefore the line ‘Drink To Link’ would be understood as an instruction to consume the drink and engage in sexual activity.
The Panel understood that because the company was based outside of the UK it may not have been aware of the slang meaning of the phrase and that the association was likely to have been inadvertent. Nonetheless, the Panel stated that the ambiguity of the line left it open to consumer interpretation and that in the UK it was currently predominantly used as a sexual reference. On that basis, the Panel considered that the promotional activity did create an association with sexual activity. Accordingly, the complaint was upheld under Code rule 3.2(d).
Code rule 3.2(e)
The Panel considered whether the promotional activity suggested that consumption of the drink could lead to social success or popularity as raised by the complainant. In the context of its decision under Code rule 3.2(d), the Panel considered the line ‘Easy To Drink, Drink To Link’. The Panel reiterated concern that the line was ambiguous and the line was not presented with any context that it was intended to communicate that the drink paired easily with food. The Panel discussed that ‘linking up with someone’ was often used in the UK to communicate a social gathering or meeting, usually with friends. The Panel considered that ‘Drink To Link’, while having sexual connotations, could also suggest that consumption of the drink could lead to social success or popularity. Without context, the Panel considered that line read as if the drink could facilitate a social gathering and that a person may find connecting with other people easier once they had consumed the drink. On that basis, the Panel concluded that the promotional activity did suggest that consumption of the drink could lead to social success or popularity. Accordingly, the complaint was upheld under Code rule 3.2(e).
The Panel acknowledged that both breaches of the Code were inadvertent in this instance and sought to remind producers that where there is often a lack of context in promotional activity, some phrases may have multiple meanings and to be mindful of cultural differences.
Action by Company:
Promotion will not appear with the line ‘Drink to Link’ in the UK again.