AU Vodka in hot water with the ASA

We've all heard of AU Vodka the gold-bottled brand that’s become a staple of the UK nightlife scene. Co-founded by DJ Charlie Sloth, AU Vodka has built huge hype through bold flavours, influencer tie-ins and a social media-first strategy that’s made it one of the UK’s fastest-growing spirits.

But this week, that same approach got them into hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority.

The ASA upheld complaints against AU Vodka over TikTok and Facebook posts featuring influencers Lucinda Strafford and Kai Cenat. It was ruled the content broke alcohol ad rules because they were likely seen by under-18s (especially on TikTok), featured people who were under, or appeared under, 25 drinking, and one ad was viewable in the UK, even though it was “for US audiences”.

All three ads were banned, and AU Vodka was told to tighten influencer and audience controls. After all, influencer marketing isn’t a loophole; it’s a regulated space, and this ruling demonstrates the fine line between bold and banned.

Three influencer marketing watch-outs:
📲 Influencers drive trust because they feel real, but in regulated categories authenticity must have guardrails - you can't always rely on creators to know/remember every rule
📲 “Age-gated” doesn’t mean “age-safe”; use platform analytics and audience audits to evidence due diligence
📲 Global visibility still means local responsibility, so think about building geo-compliance frameworks from day one

AU Vodka’s rise shows what great branding and cultural relevance can do. But remember - while creativity sells bottles, compliance protects brands.