Surfers Paradise: Cocktails Nightclub rebuked over ‘fun’ festive promo

A Gold Coast nightclub has been given a slap on the wrist by the federal advertising watchdog for a raunchy two-year-old Christmas email to patrons.

A GOLD Coast nightclub has been given a slap on the wrist by the federal advertising watchdog for a raunchy two-year-old Christmas email to patrons.

The Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code Scheme found Cocktails Nightclub at Surfers Paradise twice breached the marketing code in emails sent in December 2018.

The emails found to be in breach had subject lines such as: “Ho-Ho-Holy Sh**t I’m drunk” and “Alcohol is not in my Vodkabulary.”

According to the adjudicator, though the emails could seen as humorous, the humour comes from it being funny that people drink to excess, or are affected by excessive consumption.

Cocktails Nightclub in Surfers Paradise.

The complaints had been made in February this year. It is not known why it took so long for the reader to raise concern about the issue.

“It is fair say that Australians have a robust sense of humour and the email subject lines

would be understood accordingly,” the adjudicator said regarding the case.

“That said, there are countless ways in which marketing communications can be crafted in a creative, humorous and engaging manner without the humour needing to assume that drinking excessively is a shared and acceptable experience.”

In response to the ruling and emails, Cocktails Nightclub management said it was attempting to be funny to create greater engagement with the audience.

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The complaints had been made in February this year. It is not known why it took so long for the reader to raise concern about the issue.

The club also argued that “Ho-Ho-Holy Sh**t I’m drunk” had been used by other companies on T-shirts and mugs, and that Vodkabulary wasn’t a real word. It was used to make an interesting subject line.

“I genuinely hope these subject lines did not cause distress to anyone and I apologise if the lines had been blurred between what is considered humorous and what is encouraging rapid

intoxication,” a spokesman for the club said.

“I am hoping that since these complaints are from emails that are two years old, that we have since gotten better at sending catchy email subject lines without breaching the liquor licencing act.”

Three other emails that were included in the complaint against the club were dismissed.