France - ANPAA denounces Rugby World Cup Sponsorship by Heineken

Since 7 September 2007, France has been the host to the Rugby World Cup, with Heineken being one of its one of the main sponsors, as the numerous billboards and flags displayed in bars, restaurants and in the streets of the French Capital testified.

ANPAA, the Association Nationale en Alcoologie et Addictologie decided to take legal action, accusing both the Committee hosting the event (GIP Rugby 2007) as well as Heineken. It considers that such partnership operations, visible through indirect advertising campaigns (in bars, in streets and over the internet) are in breach of the Public Health Code. Indeed, although the name of Heineken did not appear as such on the French version of the Rugby World Cup website, although recognisable logo a five branch red star surrounded by a white halo) was clearly reminiscent of the famous brand of beer.

Since the Loi Evin was voted in France in 1991 to control alcohol advertising, many advertisements infringing the law have been condemned by the French courts of justice. ANPAA's role in these rulings has been pivotal, and these success stories have alarmed alcohol producers, advertising companies as well as the media.

ANPAA is denouncing the strong association of the practice of rugby with the consumption of Heineken. The ruling ordered Heineken to remove all promotional material, namely advertising banners distributed to café and bar owners; failing to do this would incur a fine of €5000 for every offence. ANPAA won a further case, banning Heineken press advertisements; these contained imagery that was strongly evocative of the rugby game, depicting, for example, an oval shaped beer glass resembling a rugby ball.

These victories highlight the triumph of ‘local' policies, namely the French Loi Evin, implemented to protect public health, over international marketing campaigns fronted by the alcohol industry.