AUS: Ad Campaign Pressured Out

Bacardi-Martini has aborted a major advertising campaign in Australia to promote a new product called Bacardi Limon, a lemon-flavoured alcoholic drink. The campaign, which was due to kick off in February, featured “aroma dispensers”, placed in bus and tram shelters in four major cities – Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The idea of the dispensers was that when members of the public entered the shelters a mechanism would release a lemon scent, reminiscent of Bacardi Limon. State government ministers in Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, decided that the campaign might encourage under-age drinking. This opposition to the campaign was supported by various anti-alcohol lobby groups across the country. Brisbane’s city council followed Melbourne’s lead, calling the campaign invasive and unacceptable. By the end of the week Bacardi-Martini – who pointed out that the scent was non-allergenic and non-alcoholic – had called a complete halt to the campaign.