Study Says Zero-Alcohol Ads May Encourage Drinking

A new Australian study says zero-alcohol drinks are being marketed in ways that may encourage drinking rather than replace it, adding pressure on regulators as alcohol brands expand their no-alcohol lines.

Researchers who reviewed 30 advertising campaigns for zero-alcohol products in Australia and New Zealand found that nearly two-thirds, or 63%, placed the drinks in settings that are usually associated with no alcohol at all, including swimming, gym workouts and driving. The study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, argues that alcohol companies are using weak advertising rules to normalize drinking occasions in places where alcohol would not ordinarily be used.

The campaigns examined ran between 2018 and 2024 and promoted 13 zero-alcohol products in Australia and six in New Zealand. The researchers said the ads often kept the branding of the parent alcohol company, which meant the products could still reinforce the image of the alcohol brand even when they contained no alcohol.

Julia Stafford, deputy chair of Cancer Council’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee and a co-author of the study, said the findings showed an urgent need to tighten Australia’s alcohol advertising standards. She said alcohol brands were exploiting loopholes by showing zero-alcohol products in contexts such as gyms, before or while driving, operating heavy machinery and even cliff jumping.

Stafford said some zero-alcohol products may be useful for adults trying to cut back on drinking, but many of the campaigns did not present them clearly as substitutes for alcohol. Instead, she said, they featured scenes and activities where alcohol would not normally be consumed, limiting any possible public health benefit.

The researchers also found that one-fifth of the campaigns used exercise or sporting settings, 27% highlighted fitness-related benefits and 23% suggested improved productivity. Those themes, they said, may help broaden the idea of when drinking is acceptable, even if the product itself contains no alcohol.

The study comes as zero-alcohol beverages gain market share and more alcohol companies invest in them. Public health advocates say that growth has outpaced regulation. In Australia, most alcohol advertising controls still rely on voluntary industry rules rather than binding government standards.

Cancer Council is now urging the federal government to close what it calls a zero-alcohol loophole and impose stricter rules on alcohol brand marketing, promotion and sponsorship. The group says current standards put company interests ahead of community health and do not adequately limit exposure to alcohol marketing.

The concern extends beyond advertising style. Researchers pointed to evidence linking reduced alcohol use with lower cancer risk. Alcohol is known to cause at least seven types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, breast, liver and bowel.

As zero-alcohol products become more common in bars, supermarkets and restaurants, regulators are facing a harder question: whether drinks sold as alternatives to alcohol should be allowed to carry the same branding and promotional power as their alcoholic counterparts.