State Drinks faces criticism for energy drink ads targeting minors in Denmark

A pyramid of yellow, orange, and blue energy drink bottles from the Danish brand State Drinks appears in a promotional video on the company’s TikTok channel, announcing, “Hey there, I have some great news for you. Now you can win 100 bottles.” These drinks contain caffeine, leading regulatory authority, Forbrugerombudsmanden, to state that energy drink advertisements should not target children under 18. Nevertheless, minors can access these promotional videos featuring prominent athletes like Caroline Wozniacki and Christian Eriksen, who serve as brand ambassadors.

Critics, including Jacob Lund Orquin, a marketing professor at Aarhus University, emphasize the need for age filters to prevent children from viewing energy drink ads. Manufacturers can easily activate such filters on their social media profiles to limit access to adults. Without effective age restrictions, the oversight is deemed a breach of good marketing practices.

Royal Unibrew has implemented an age filter on its Faxe Kondi Booster Instagram profile after criticism from a consumer program. Consumer Council Tænk suggests that companies should refrain from advertising on platforms like TikTok, where over half of users are under 18.

State Drinks insists it does not target children, with CEO Jon Andersen stating, “I don’t want to see a child drinking a State.” The company has now activated age filters on its Instagram and Facebook profiles. However, they currently lack this feature on TikTok, although they claim to have age restrictions on paid ads.

While the company seeks to protect children from their products, they acknowledge that they cannot control what minors purchase in stores. Andersen supports a proposed ban on selling energy drinks to children under 16, advocating for stricter regulations.