An advert for viral wine brand La Vieille Ferme has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for implying its wines had “therapeutic qualities”, and for promoting drinking in an irresponsible manner.
The advert, seen on TikTok on 9 and 11 March 2026, showed three boxed wine cartons, with text above each stating: “One to resurrect my soul”, “One for emotional support” and “One to erase today”. A hand with a glass appeared and filled up a cup from each carton.
The post also contained a lengthy text caption including phrases such as “My health? Depends on all three” and “Finding Balance: Emotional Support and Self-Care”. It was tagged with key words including “emotional support for well-being,” “rejuvenating the soul” and “self-care routines for health”.
The ASA received complaints that challenged if the ad implied alcohol had therapeutic qualities and portrayed it as capable of changing mood and as a source of nourishment. One complainant also believed the reference to “erase today” encouraged excessive drinking and was therefore irresponsible.
CAP Code infringements investigated
Under the CAP Code, alcohol advertisements are not allowed to imply alcohol has therapeutic qualities and must not portray alcohol as capable of changing mood. They must also not make any health claims, or encourage unwise or irresponsible drinking.
The ASA considered the references on the wine cartons shown in the ad titled “One to resurrect my soul” and “One for emotional support” implied the wine could provide emotional benefit or support and improve or lift someone’s mood.
Meanwhile, “One to erase today”, was understood as positioning “alcohol as a way to cope with or distract from difficult times and to help deal with the stress of a hard day,” and therefore also implied alcohol as being capable of changing one’s mood.
Assessing the text in post, the ASA said the post also “implied that drinking alcohol, and in particular the featured wine, had a positive impact on health and wellbeing”. It would “likely be interpreted as suggesting that drinking the wine formed part of a self-care and well-being routine,” it said, adding this impression was reinforced by the keywords at the bottom of the caption.
Finally, the phrase “One to erase today”, when displayed alongside three boxes of wine, could be understood to mean “meaning drinking excessively to the point of erasing one’s memory,” the ASA said. This impression was “enhanced by the visuals in the ad which showed someone filling their glass repeatedly from three large boxes of wine”, it added.
The advert was therefore in breach of the CAP Code and must not appear again in its current form, the watchdog concluded.
“Alcohol ads must be socially responsible and shouldn’t suggest that drinking can improve someone’s mood or help them cope with difficult feelings,” said an ASA spokeswoman. “In this case, the ad linked alcohol with ‘emotional support’, ‘self-care’ and ‘erasing’ a bad day, giving the impression that drinking wine could improve mental wellbeing and help someone deal with stress.
“The ad also broke the rules by making health claims, which aren’t allowed for alcohol ads, and encouraging excessive drinking.”
La Vieille Ferme said it recognised the concerns raised, and had made internal improvements to help ensure future compliance with the Code. The brand declined to comment further when approached by The Grocer.
TikTok said it had reviewed the content and had removed it from its platform for violating its advertising policies.
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