The face-off between Guinness Nigeria Plc and
the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria
(APCON), a federal body responsible for the
regulation and control of the practice of
advertising in Nigeria, may not have abated as
fresh trouble is knocking on the doors of Guinness Nigeria Plc over the recent front page
advert placed in some newspapers. Vanguard learnt that the advert Guinness
Colourful World of More, did not pass through
the Advertising Standards Panel, ASP, the
vetting arm of APCON. The hint of the fresh
trouble for the brewer was dropped by Mr.
Tunde Thani, ASP Advertising Best Practice Committee Chairman. Responding to questions from journalists at a
press briefing to herald the forthcoming ASP
Advertising Best Practice Awards /Advertising
Day celebration scheduled to hold in November
15, 2013, Mr. Tunde Thani, said “There is no
way ASP could seat and allow any advertiser to plan such campaign that runs contrary to the
advertising code. He also wondered why any newspaper should
expose such an advert to the public no matter
the amount, without minding what it connotes
to the public, particularly the under aged.” He
noted that APCON has a body, Advert Mangers
Forum, of which all advert managers belong, saying, “They are part of the vetting process
for adverts. There is no information you cannot
get from them. We are not hiding anything
from public consumption. I can assure you that
there is nothing like that (vetting).” While blaming some advert managers and
journalists, he said: “From your end as well, you
take finance above ethics. We have the rules,
but, unfortunately, some companies are not
playing by the rule. From next year, you will
begin to see the trail of stamping out of such practices.
Managing director
“Presently we are beginning to get calls from
the public on why Guinness should expose such
an advert in front pages of newspapers to the
detriment of children, who are privy to
newspaper copies”, he said. It will be recalled that to check these flagrant
violations, APCON had in February this year
banned all alcohol advertising from the stable
of Guinness Nigeria Plc over what it termed
deliberate breach of the code’s Article 39. The code states that “advertisements for
alcohol beverages shall not be aired between
6.00am and 8.00pm on radio and between
6.00am and 10.00pm on television.” The Article 34 for outdoor advertising also says
that advertisements for alcohol beverages
shall not be sited within a radius of 200 meters
from nearest perimeter fence of any place of
worship, hospital, school, or motor parks.
Over the years, players in the segment of this market category have continually breached this
provision as a result of what some termed
APCON’s ineptitude and/or lack of effective
monitoring. The effect of this flagrant disregard to ethical
practice, expectedly, has been impacting
negatively on the nation’s youthful section of
the consumer market. In February this year also, precisely during the
African Nation’s Cup in South Africa, APCON
decided to wield the big stick for the first time
by banning all alcohol advertisements of
Guinness Nigeria from television (both
terrestrial and satellite). Although the suspension was not announced,
Nkechi May-Nzeribe, APCON’s Corporate Affair
officer, had in a statement announced the
regulator’s decision to pardon the offender,
when he simply said, “The APCON through its
Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) committee lifted the ban placed on advertising of alcohol
beverage placed on Guinness Nigeria Plc.” The ban, she explained, was lifted because
Guinness complied by withdrawing all the
offending advertisements that had been
scheduled to run, and apologised over its
broadcast of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
adverts on Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) outside the prescribed periods allowed by the
APCON Code and promotion guidelines. Specifically, May-Nzeribe said Guinness ‘Made
of More’ was aired on DSTV platform on
February 2, 2013 at 16.40 hour West African
time (4.40pm) during the CAF Nations Cup
match between Ghana and Cape Verde, and
during English Premier League live matches even after warnings and notifications from the
regulatory body. According to APCON, the ASP’s decision to lift
the ban on Guinness’ alcohol advertisement
followed a letter written by the Marketing and
Innovation Director of Guinness Nigeria, Austin
Ufomba. Ufomba, which assured that in future,
the brand would not be involved in any breach of the APCON code of advertising practice, and
announced a withdrawal of all its advertisement
expected to run at that time. In deciding to lift the ban on Guinness
advertising of alcohol beverages, May-Nzeribe
said, “APCON has reiterated its position that
nobody or company is above the law and would
mete out sanctions to any erring organisation
no matter how big or influential.” From all indications, Guinness may be violating
Article 39 and 34 of the Code of Advertising
Practice again. Top alcohol brands have formed the habit of
abusing this advertising provision, which seeks
to protect children, women and underage
segments of the the audience. Besides
frequent abuse of advertisement on radio and
television, outdoor advertisement for alcoholic beverages is one of the most unchecked. In
certain areas of Lagos metropolis, such as Pen
Cinema, in the Agege area, a billboard bearing
Guinness “Made for More” overlooks a motor
park.
the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria
(APCON), a federal body responsible for the
regulation and control of the practice of
advertising in Nigeria, may not have abated as
fresh trouble is knocking on the doors of Guinness Nigeria Plc over the recent front page
advert placed in some newspapers. Vanguard learnt that the advert Guinness
Colourful World of More, did not pass through
the Advertising Standards Panel, ASP, the
vetting arm of APCON. The hint of the fresh
trouble for the brewer was dropped by Mr.
Tunde Thani, ASP Advertising Best Practice Committee Chairman. Responding to questions from journalists at a
press briefing to herald the forthcoming ASP
Advertising Best Practice Awards /Advertising
Day celebration scheduled to hold in November
15, 2013, Mr. Tunde Thani, said “There is no
way ASP could seat and allow any advertiser to plan such campaign that runs contrary to the
advertising code. He also wondered why any newspaper should
expose such an advert to the public no matter
the amount, without minding what it connotes
to the public, particularly the under aged.” He
noted that APCON has a body, Advert Mangers
Forum, of which all advert managers belong, saying, “They are part of the vetting process
for adverts. There is no information you cannot
get from them. We are not hiding anything
from public consumption. I can assure you that
there is nothing like that (vetting).” While blaming some advert managers and
journalists, he said: “From your end as well, you
take finance above ethics. We have the rules,
but, unfortunately, some companies are not
playing by the rule. From next year, you will
begin to see the trail of stamping out of such practices.
Managing director
“Presently we are beginning to get calls from
the public on why Guinness should expose such
an advert in front pages of newspapers to the
detriment of children, who are privy to
newspaper copies”, he said. It will be recalled that to check these flagrant
violations, APCON had in February this year
banned all alcohol advertising from the stable
of Guinness Nigeria Plc over what it termed
deliberate breach of the code’s Article 39. The code states that “advertisements for
alcohol beverages shall not be aired between
6.00am and 8.00pm on radio and between
6.00am and 10.00pm on television.” The Article 34 for outdoor advertising also says
that advertisements for alcohol beverages
shall not be sited within a radius of 200 meters
from nearest perimeter fence of any place of
worship, hospital, school, or motor parks.
Over the years, players in the segment of this market category have continually breached this
provision as a result of what some termed
APCON’s ineptitude and/or lack of effective
monitoring. The effect of this flagrant disregard to ethical
practice, expectedly, has been impacting
negatively on the nation’s youthful section of
the consumer market. In February this year also, precisely during the
African Nation’s Cup in South Africa, APCON
decided to wield the big stick for the first time
by banning all alcohol advertisements of
Guinness Nigeria from television (both
terrestrial and satellite). Although the suspension was not announced,
Nkechi May-Nzeribe, APCON’s Corporate Affair
officer, had in a statement announced the
regulator’s decision to pardon the offender,
when he simply said, “The APCON through its
Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) committee lifted the ban placed on advertising of alcohol
beverage placed on Guinness Nigeria Plc.” The ban, she explained, was lifted because
Guinness complied by withdrawing all the
offending advertisements that had been
scheduled to run, and apologised over its
broadcast of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
adverts on Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) outside the prescribed periods allowed by the
APCON Code and promotion guidelines. Specifically, May-Nzeribe said Guinness ‘Made
of More’ was aired on DSTV platform on
February 2, 2013 at 16.40 hour West African
time (4.40pm) during the CAF Nations Cup
match between Ghana and Cape Verde, and
during English Premier League live matches even after warnings and notifications from the
regulatory body. According to APCON, the ASP’s decision to lift
the ban on Guinness’ alcohol advertisement
followed a letter written by the Marketing and
Innovation Director of Guinness Nigeria, Austin
Ufomba. Ufomba, which assured that in future,
the brand would not be involved in any breach of the APCON code of advertising practice, and
announced a withdrawal of all its advertisement
expected to run at that time. In deciding to lift the ban on Guinness
advertising of alcohol beverages, May-Nzeribe
said, “APCON has reiterated its position that
nobody or company is above the law and would
mete out sanctions to any erring organisation
no matter how big or influential.” From all indications, Guinness may be violating
Article 39 and 34 of the Code of Advertising
Practice again. Top alcohol brands have formed the habit of
abusing this advertising provision, which seeks
to protect children, women and underage
segments of the the audience. Besides
frequent abuse of advertisement on radio and
television, outdoor advertisement for alcoholic beverages is one of the most unchecked. In
certain areas of Lagos metropolis, such as Pen
Cinema, in the Agege area, a billboard bearing
Guinness “Made for More” overlooks a motor
park.
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