Steinlager ad breached code of advertising

File photo / Richard Robinson

A Steinlager newspaper ad referring to "30 names to believe in" clearly refers to the All Blacks, the Advertising Standards Authority says.

The July 11 newspaper ad was dominated by a picture of a white can of Steinlager beer and at the top of the it, in large print, were the offending words.

C Turner complained to the authority, saying "30 names to believe in" was clearly a reference to the All Blacks and the Rugby World Cup and therefore breached the Code of Advertising.

"This advertisement is an attempt to circumvent the heroes of the young rule," C Turner said.

"Commonsense suggests that such a move should be firmly rejected."

The newspaper rejected the assertion but the authority agreed.

"'30 names to believe in' in the advertisement for a Steinlager product (is) likely to be understood by most consumers as an implicit reference to the All Blacks," it said.

"The majority also considered that most rugby-aware consumers would know that 30 was a common size of a touring squad of rugby players, thereby strengthening the link to the All Blacks ..."

It upheld the complaint on the basis that it used identifiable heroes or heroines of the young, which is banned in liquor advertising.