Public-transport alcohol ban will not hit Tube ads

by Alison Donnelly Marketing 20-May-08, 10:00

LONDON - The London Mayor's office has no plans to ban alcohol advertising on the Underground, despite introducing laws to prohibit drinking on public transport.

Banning the consumption of alcohol on all public transport in the capital was Boris Johnson's first major policy announcement when he took office earlier this month.

However, a spokesman for the Mayor said: 'So far no case has been made for banning alcohol ads on the Tube, although all ads have to meet strict guidelines.'

CBS Outdoor, which sells the majority of ads on the Tube, counts alcohol advertising among its top-10 campaign categories on the Underground and one of the fastest-growing on its digital escalator-panels.

'The ban on drinking on the Tube is related to public safety and crime prevention,' said Tim Bleakley, managing director of CBS Outdoor. 'Advertising alcohol is an entirely different issue.'

There are a number of on-going alcohol ad campaigns on the Underground, including work for InBev's Stella Artois and Scottish & Newcastle's Jacques Premium Cider.

Comments

Rob Dyson - 20/05/2008

More proof that this was a cynical headline pleaser and political red herring than a real attempt at curbing drinking and - by proxy - the promotion of drinking. As discussed ad nauseum elsewhere, drunk people will be drunk a) prior to getting on public transport at the start of an evening and b) prior to getting on public transport at the end of an evening. Very very few people habitually drink to get drunk whilst riding the network up and down- it's more likely a quickie can of booze before getting to the overpriced club. Mind you, the booze poster campaigns will mean punters will be thirsty for it by the time they get in there...