CUB’s non-alcoholic Carlton Zero courts controversy

Australia | The country’s major brewer, CUB, which is owned by AB-InBev, has launched a new advertising campaign, hoping to make adults switch from sugary soft drinks to its non-alcoholic beer Carlton Zero.

This has drawn the ire of Michael Thorn, CEO of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. He has told the Herald Sun newspaper that the marketing was effectively an effort to “groom the next generation of drinkers”. He called the marketing “deliberately deceptive, completely unacceptable and irresponsible” because “Carlton Zero is virtually indistinguishable from full-strength beer, with the same logos, branding and packaging.”

With barely concealed militancy, Mr Thorn added: “This is a veiled push to market alcohol brands to kids. Alcohol is an addictive, carcinogenic drug and is the major contributor to teenage deaths through intentional injury, homicide and suicide.”

According to the news service brewsnews.com.au, “central to the debate is whether a beer that contains no alcohol is actually achieving the aim of reducing alcohol consumption, or a product designed to hook consumers – especially children – into a pattern of behaviour.” Put differently, are non-alcoholic beers providing a healthier consumer choice or are they a gateway into the real thing?

Mr Thorn’s foundation has failed to provide any evidence in support of his charges.

In fact, the Carlton Zero commercial plays to consumers’ perceptions about the sugar content of soft drinks. Reportedly, Carlton Zero has 10 times less sugar than regular soft drink.

But as brewsnews.com.au points out, “as always with health claims, CUB is highlighting its most advantageous figures.” While it is true that a can of Carlton Zero has less sugar than a can of Coca-Cola, it still has more sugar than a can of its alcoholic peers.