Victoria Bitter: ‘Hard earned runs, at the Gabba’
One AARB complainant said he was shocked when, during a pause in commentary during Channel 9 coverage of the Australia v South Africa cricket test, two commentators (in his own words), “basically read out a VB ad during the cricket commentary…about how much they loved VB and would have one after the game”.
“This is another step of blurring the boundaries between sport and advertising alcohol, via influential commentators, with very direct influence on many children watching," he added.
(The last line in the advert, read by commentator Mark Nicholas, was: “Hard-earned thirst boy. Hard-earned runs, at the Gabba.”)
The AARB agreed with the complaint, and asked SAB Miller subsidiary Carlton United Breweries (CUB) to reconsider its placement of alcohol ads. But after the issue was referred to the Australian Media and Communications Authority (AMCA), the latter wrote to the AARB saying that the commentary did not breach Australia's Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice.
(Picture Credit: Lachlan Hardy/Flickr)
