Events
A beer garden at a music festival, a spirits tasting at a mall, a raffle for a case of beer at a company party: drinks brands run some of the biggest activations in the country. What they can say and do at those events is set by the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics, and its alcohol section is one of the strictest in it.
Does the ASC Code cover an activation, or only ads?
The rules are written for “advertisements of alcohol beverages”, and an activation is full of them: the booth, the tarps, the host’s script, the giveaways and every post about the event. The ASC Code of Ethics sets the principle for all of it: alcohol advertising “shall be so designed to market products to persons of legal purchase age in a responsible and appropriate manner.”
Who can join, and who can be shown?
Four rules decide the guest list and the content around it.
| What the Code says | What it means at an activation |
| “Advertisements on promotions, prizes, or games linked to alcohol beverages, including those posted on digital media, shall not be open to minors.” | Check IDs before anyone joins a game, a raffle or a sampling line |
| “People shown in advertisements of alcohol beverages SHALL be at least 21 years old.” | Hosts, models and anyone featured in event photos or videos used as ads |
| “shall not primarily appeal to minors” | No cartoon characters, kids’ games or teen pop-culture hooks in the booth |
| “All brand websites and other promotional activities of alcohol beverages on the internet shall ask for confirmation that those who use the site are of appropriate legal purchase age” | An age check on the online registration or raffle page |
What about promos, raffles and prizes?
They need FDA approval first. The Code says “All alcohol beverages conducting consumer promotions must have the express written approval of the DOH-FDA”. Our guide to sales promotion permits covers how promo permits work and how long they take.
The mechanic matters too. “Advertisements with Sales promotions shall not encourage excessive or irresponsible consumption”, so drinking contests, and prizes that reward drinking fast or drinking a lot, have no place in the booth.
What should the booth and the host avoid?
→ Drinking games and chugging. Ads “shall not promote excessive or heavy drinking nor shall it imply that the behavior of rapid drinking or binge-drinking is attractive or appropriate.”
→ Drunk-for-laughs content. “Persons shall not be portrayed in a state of intoxication”, and that “includes using intoxication as a subject for amusement.” It applies to the host’s banter and to the reels after the event.
→ Teasing the guest who says no. Ads “shall not present abstinence in a negative light or imply that it is wrong or foolish to refuse a drink.” Brief the host to offer the non-alcohol option without a joke.
→ Anything near driving. Nothing may “represent or imply that drinking alcohol beverages and driving are safe and compatible activities.” A car display beside the bar, or a prize that puts the two together, needs a second look.
→ Health and energy claims. Alcohol can’t be pitched as making anyone sharper, fitter or more energetic, and ads “must not promote alcohol beverages as “energy drinks”.”
→ Missing “Drink Responsibly”. Alcohol ads “shall prominently carry the mandatory statement “DRINK RESPONSIBLY””, in a separate frame at the end of a video or “at the bottom of a static material”. Tarps, standees and posters at the booth count as static material.
The ID desk
Put the age check at the entrance to the brand area, before the sampling line and the raffle desk. Brief the staff on what to do when a guest has no ID, and keep the non-alcohol option on the counter.
General information from the ASC Code of Ethics and Standard Manual of Procedures. Selling or serving alcohol at an event can also need a permit from the city or the venue: check with both, and with the FDA for any consumer promotion.
Who should run it?
An agency that briefs the hosts, the security team and the content crew on the same rules. When you compare agencies for a drinks brand, ask how they run age checks and where the “Drink Responsibly” line goes; our guide to choosing a top events agency in the Philippines has the rest of the questions. PUNX is an events agency in Makati: 50-plus people, founded 2023, running activations and events for GCash, Sun Life and PRU Life UK.
FAQ
Can minors join an alcohol brand’s raffle or game at an event?
No. The ASC Code says promotions, prizes or games linked to alcohol beverages, including those posted on digital media, shall not be open to minors.
How old must people in alcohol ads be in the Philippines?
The ASC Code says people shown in advertisements of alcohol beverages shall be at least 21 years old.
Do alcohol promos and raffles need FDA approval?
Yes. The ASC Code says all alcohol beverages conducting consumer promotions must have the express written approval of the DOH-FDA.
Do event materials for alcohol brands need “Drink Responsibly”?
Alcohol advertisements must carry the mandatory statement “DRINK RESPONSIBLY”, in a separate frame at the end of video or audio material, or at the bottom of static material such as posters and tarps.
Related
Sales promotion permits — raffles and promos under DTI and the FDA
Influencer marketing rules — when the brand answers for a creator’s post
Event security — the licences to ask for under RA 11917
Planning an activation for a drinks brand?
Send us the brand, the venue and the dates. We will build the age checks and the promo approval into the plan.
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