Top drinks marketing campaigns and news in January

Portman Group finds fault with Fourpure’s Juicebox beer

The Portman Group, meanwhile, ruled that in its current form, Fourpure Brewing’s Juicebox citrus IPA, which has been produced since March 2016, holds “particular appeal” to those aged under 18.

Following a complaint by Zenith Global as part of an independent audit of the sixth edition of the Portman Group code, Fourpure’s Juicebox was accused of appealing to children.

Zenith Global argued that the packaging, which includes images of oranges, creates an association with orange juice, an assertion which is further strengthened by the name ‘Juicebox’.

Bermondsey-based Fourpure argued that it had never received any complaints from consumers or regulators since it put its Juicebox IPA on sale in March 2016. It added that no retailers had suggested that the packaging was found to be particularly appealing to under-18s.

The brewer added that it had undertaken a number of decisions in order to differentiate its product from a soft drink.

However, the panel was concerned “that children might see the product in the fridge in their home and think it was a juice drink”, and noted the “Citrus IPA” description was not clear enough to dispel that impression to a child who would be unfamiliar with beer terms.