'Saucy' beer label escapes censure

by Nikki Sandison, Brand Republic 25-Feb-08, 11:35

LONDON - The label on a bottle of Dorothy Goodbody Wholesome Stout, featuring a young woman wearing a revealing dress, has escaped censure from drinks industry body the Portman Group, despite a complaint that it is sexually suggestive.

The Independent Complaints Panel decided that the label did not breach the Portman Group's Code of Practice, which prevents companies from associating their drinks with sexual success.

Alcohol Concern, a charity campaigning against alcohol misuse, complained that the drawing on the label, of a young woman whose dress is pulled back to reveal her thighs, was "sexually suggestive".

The Independent Complaints Panel did not uphold the complaint, accepting the argument of Wye Valley Brewery, the producer of Dorothy Goodbody, that the label was intended to capture the spirit of fun and innocence of 1950s rural Herefordshire.

David Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group, said: "The Independent Complaints Panel accepted that the image was slightly saucy but in the style of an old-fashioned seaside postcard.

"Although the drink's name Goodbody has slight sexual connotations, it also refers to the nature of the drink.

"Overall the panel decided that because this is just a drawing rather than a real woman, and the sexual connotations are so mild, the drink is not in breach of our code."