Alcohol advertising must comply with age restrictions, jurisdictional regulations, and publisher policies. Approval depends on audience targeting, creative execution, and placement.

Creative compliance

Alcohol creatives must:

• Exclude minors and non-drinkers.
• Avoid associating alcohol with social success or personal achievement.
• Avoid depicting alcohol consumption in risky or illegal situations (e.g. driving)
• Avoid imperative language such as “Buy now” or “Have a drink today.”
• Avoid promoting alcohol based on higher alcohol content.
• Substantiate all claims related to ingredients or sourcing.

Audience and geo compliance

Age targeting

Canada and United States

• Quebec 18+, remainder of Canada 19+, all U.S states 21+ (depends on jurisdiction).

LATAM

• Age targeting filters required.
• No retargeting of underage audiences.
• Landing pages must include legal disclaimers.

Geo restrictions

• Teads Alcohol Specific Guidelines for Canada, USA, and LATAM (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico)
• Canada CRTC code for broadcast advertising of alcoholic beverages 

Recommended brand safety and contextual settings

Brand safety

• Use DoubleVerify to exclude mobile apps related to age and content advisory ratings, such as Everyone (4+), and apps rated for Tweens (9+), Teens (12+), and Mature (17+).
• Consider including the Alcohol category under content and keyword targeting.

Inventory eligibility

Exchanges: All exchanges may be targeted, subject to publisher approval.

Whitelists: Refer to the Alcohol Accepted table. Whitelisting is optional but may limit reach.

Available deals: Rubicon LDA Publishers.

Declarations

• Advertiser declaration: Beer, Liquor, or Wine.
• Campaign declaration: Cocktails, Beer, or Wine.

Legal and regulatory disclaimers

Ads must include:

• Please Drink Responsibly
• Must be 18+, or 19+ or 21+ (depends on jurisdiction)

Point of contact

Contact your Account Manager for approval guidance or compliance support.

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FAQs

What happens if an alcohol ad does not meet age targeting requirements?

An alcohol ad that fails age targeting rules is not approved for delivery. Platforms block serving to underage audiences and may require targeting updates or landing page disclaimer fixes before reconsideration. 

Are alcohol ads allowed on all exchanges by default?

Alcohol ads may target most exchanges, but final eligibility depends on publisher approval. Some publishers impose stricter standards or require whitelisting. Optional whitelists can improve compliance confidence but may reduce overall reach.

Who should marketers contact for alcohol compliance questions?

Marketers should contact their Account Manager for alcohol advertising compliance guidance. Account Managers help interpret regional regulations, confirm inventory eligibility, and review declarations or creative issues before submission.

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