The success of alcohol marketing self-regulation

The world is looking to business to play a role in helping to combat disease. In September 2025, the UN will adopt its fourth Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases, setting out new expectations on both governments and the private sector to help address key risk factors.

The focus will include the harmful use of alcohol but while the current negotiations centre on what more the private sector should or could be doing, it’s also important to take stock of the meaningful efforts leading brands have already taken since the previous 2018 UN Political Declaration.

Brands have demonstrated that marketing can be a powerful tool when it comes to shaping positive health outcomes and shifting social norms. Heineken, for example, dedicates 10% of its media budget to responsible marketing and Pernod Ricard has elevated responsibility to hero status within several of its consumer campaigns.

It was in this spirit that WFA, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) and Deloitte Digital hosted senior marketers working with some of the largest global brands at Cannes Lions to showcase how creativity, partnership and responsibility is already driving meaningful societal impact and business growth.

WFA, IARD, Deloitte Digital and senior marketers at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2025.

Attendees heard first-hand from Heineken and Pernod Ricard demonstrating the power of marketing:

• Heineken’s long running When You Drive, Never Drink campaign leverages its partnership with Formula 1 to reshape behaviours around drinking and driving, delivering real, measurable change. A Nielsen study showed that 56% of F1 fans now regularly choose alcohol-free beer, compared to 43% of the general population. In some markets, the campaign contributed to reductions in drinking and driving of up to 25%;
• Pernod Ricard’s Malibu brand has created an innovative collaboration, partnering with Olympic diver Tom Daley in the UK to raise awareness of the dangers of mixing alcohol and swimming (based on research showing that one in four drowning deaths involve alcohol). The campaign drove a 12% increase in awareness and prompted 2.9 million people to say they would no longer drink and swim.

These kinds of campaigns are proof that brands can play a leading role in reducing harmful drinking while also building stronger brand equity. Harnessing creativity and innovation from across the sector is crucial to responding to expectations by consumers and regulators.

While brands can have a unique power to reach consumers, no one brand can change attitudes alone. That’s why cross-industry collaboration is essential. The IARD Global Standards Coalition now brings together more than 100 leading retailers, ecommerce platforms, media agencies, sports organisations, travel and hospitality sectors, digital platforms and alcohol producers to work on a shared goal of reducing harmful drinking which includes elevating global marketing standards.

And it’s working. There was a 98.2% compliance rate with IARD’s digital safeguards in 2024, which consist of five safeguards on brand channels including: age-affirmation mechanism, transparency, user generated content policy, forward advice notice, responsible drinking message. Leading global marketing and advertising agencies are signed-up to the first-ever global standards for influencer marketing. Millions of advertisers can age-gate online marketing on digital platforms as part of a broader coalition effort with Google, Meta, TikTok and other leading platforms to raise the bar for online marketing. Over 1 billion product labels now carry age-restriction messaging, and industry-wide resources are being used to train frontline staff in retail, service, online delivery, creators and influencers alike.

“Raising standards isn’t just good business – it’s smart health policy. With a 20% drop in alcohol-related deaths and over a billion product labels carrying age-restriction messages, we’re showing that responsibility delivers real impact and that when brands lead with purpose, everyone wins,” says Julian Braithwaite, CEO of IARD.

At WFA, we believe that embedding such voluntary standards builds a stronger, more resilient business in an age where trust is key for both investors and consumers. This is why we developed our WFA framework for positive marketing behaviours, designed to highlight how brands identify the right approach for their business and society.

As the UN looks to finalise its political declaration, this summer is a critical moment to show that responsible marketing can be a force for good.