Key Points
- Australian beer Barely Legal has been removed from a major festival due to its branding and marketing.
- The logo was similar to Pornhub and the beer was described as "something to tell your friends about".
- The Independent Brewers Association said the marketing breached its Code of Conduct.
An Australian beer named 'Barely Legal' has been withdrawn from a major festival following criticism over its marketing and label, which featured a design similar to the world's biggest pornography website.
In promotional material, Sunshine Coast brewery Blackflag described its IPA as "adventurous" and "something to tell your friends about", along with a logo in the style of Pornhub.
Now, the marketing theme has been discontinued ahead of the Great Australian Beer Spectacular in Melbourne this weekend, where the beer was due to be poured.
On Sunday night, Instagram account Chicks Invented Beer criticised the promotion of the beer.
"18.1% and calling it 'Barely Legal'. YUCK," they wrote.
"Nothing really adventurous about joking about something/someone being 'Barely Legal'.
"The insinuation that brings is disgusting. And I can't even bring myself to type it. This is beyond foul."
It comes days after the group Beer Agents for Change - a collective of women aiming to address issues such as discrimination and sexism in the industry - released its diversity survey.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents reported experiencing discrimination in relation to gender, sexuality, race, appearance and/or age within the beer industry throughout their careers.
On Thursday, the Independent Brewers Association said it had started talks with relevant parties to address the matter and prevent future incidents.
"It is a breach of our Code of Conduct and so in response, the IBA Board will follow the guidance of that policy," the IBA said in a statement.
"While there is a strong code in place for alcohol advertising, these issues still arise and because we want to ensure that we are always part of the solution we will look at providing more training and resources for our members.
"The IBA celebrates inclusion and diversity in all its forms in everything it does and will continue our advocacy efforts towards building an inclusive and respectful beer industry."
The marketing was later withdrawn, with Blackflag saying it regretted any offence or distress caused by the campaign.
Blackflag described its Barely Legal beer as "something to tell your friends about". Source: Instagram / Chicksinventedbeer
"At Blackflag, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all of our customers, partners, and stakeholders."
The statement said the team understood the importance of "promoting diversity, equality, and sensitivity".
"We recognise that our recent marketing campaign fell short of these principles, and we sincerely apologise for any harm caused," the statement said.
Writer Clementine Ford also criticised the brand on social media.
"The joke is very obviously about sexualising 'barely legal' teen girls. And you insult yourselves most of all by trying to pretend otherwise," she wrote in an Instagram story.
"Not only because you include the PR line 'something to tell your friends about' but also because you very clearly make that link with the Pornhub branding.
"Pornhub is not a brand people suddenly discover when they turn 18 - but it is a brand where one of the most popular categories is 'barely legal'."
