Alcohol ads give magazines a headache

Whenever we think Canada is incredibly uptight, we need only look south of the border where magazine publishers are scratching their heads trying to figure out how -- or whether -- to strip school library copies of their liquor advertising. It was reported in a recent story in Advertising Age.

As of July 1, the Distilled Spirits Council is tightening its ad standards, particularly for five major titles, including Time and Newsweek. Unless Time can figure out how to send thousands of school library subscription copies without, for instance, an ad for Three Olives vodka on the back cover, it may lose the business altogether.

The Council told its members to “refrain” from taking the more expensive OBC, IBC and IFC ad positions in Time, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report and People unless they comply and remove them from school library copies.

George Janson, managing partner and director of print, Mediaedge:cia, said: “It’s almost like liquor is becoming the new tobacco.”