La Vieille Ferme has been pulled up by the UK advertising regulator after a TikTok ad suggested the wine had “therapeutic benefits”.
The promotional video, appearing on TikTok user feeds in March, displayed three boxed wine cartons alongside the taglines “One to resurrect my soul”, “One for emotional support”, and “One to erase today”.
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It contained text saying, “My health? Depends on all three,” while a hand appeared to fill a glass from each of the three cartons. The ad also emphasised the importance of “emotional support” and “self-care” for mental health.
The Advertising Standards Authority examined the ad after receiving two complaints. The complainants argued that the promotion implied alcohol had therapeutic qualities, portrayed it as a source of nourishment, and suggested it was capable of changing a person’s mood.
One challenger further asserted that the phrase “erase today” actively encouraged excessive drinking.
The watchdog upheld the complaints, calling the ad “irresponsible”.
It ruled that the ad breached the CAP Code by implying that “drinking alcohol could enhance one’s mood and emotional well-being” and “encouraged excessive drinking”.
According to the regulatory body, the marketing material suggested drinking alcohol could “distract from difficult times and to help deal with the stress of a hard day”.
The authority also determined that the caption “erase today” could be interpreted by consumers to mean drinking “to the point of memory loss”.
Consequent to the ruling, it ordered that the advertisement must not appear again in its current form.
“We also told them to ensure marketing communications that featured or referred to alcoholic drinks must be socially responsible and must contain nothing that was likely to lead people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise.”
In response, La Vieille Ferme said it recognised the concerns raised and had implemented internal improvements to ensure future compliance.
TikTok confirmed it had reviewed the video and subsequently removed it from its platform for violating its established advertising policies.
La Vieille Ferme wine is produced by France’s Famille Perrin, which recently acquired a majority stake in local soft-drinks maker Alain Milliat.
