The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) Scheme has released its 2025 Annual Report, which highlights another year of effective self-regulation of alcohol and alcohol alternative marketing in Australia.

2025 key highlights

Industry commitment to the ABAC Scheme continued to grow in 2025, with signatory companies reaching 665 — a 21% increase from 2024 — representing 88% of alcohol producer media spend.

The ABAC Adjudication Panel operated efficiently, issuing 103 determinations on alcohol marketing complaints with an average turnaround of 19.5 business days for marketing — well within the 30-business-day target. Of those, 52 resulted in advertisements or packaging being ordered out of market. Signatories maintained their 27-year record of 100% compliance with Panel decisions.

The pre-vetting service remains ABAC’s most effective compliance tool. Of 2,766 marketing communications assessed, 282 were rejected or modified before reaching the public — and zero pre-vetted materials resulted in a Panel breach, demonstrating 100% effectiveness in preventing non-compliant content from reaching market.

Proactive regulation: beyond complaints

A defining feature of 2025 was ABAC’s continued shift toward proactive, risk-based regulation. An independent audit of age-restriction controls on social media found improved overall compliance among signatories but identified lower compliance levels among non-signatories, prompting targeted education initiatives and strengthened engagement with Google and Meta.

ABAC also identified and addressed an emerging pattern of alcohol advertising appearing in children’s podcast content due to misclassification of podcast content. Working with the Interactive Advertising Bureau Audio Council, best-practice guidance for advertisers and platforms was developed. No further podcast-related complaints were received after the guidance was issued.

Chief Adjudicator Professor The Hon Michael Lavarch AO noted the value of the Scheme’s integrated approach: “A problem was identified by concerned parents, analysed by the Adjudication Panel through the complaints process, taken up by the ABAC Scheme, and a better way to minimise the risk of recurrence was found — a virtuous cycle between reactive and proactive regulation.”

Responding to emerging trends

ABAC responded to evolving challenges in the alcohol marketing landscape:

• Released the Alcohol and Water Safety Compliance Guide in July to address marketing showing alcohol use during water activities — a pattern identified from complaints data.
• Updated the Digital Best Practice Guide to include guidance on the responsible use of generative AI in alcohol marketing.
• Collaborated with the Outdoor Media Association to strengthen its Placement Policy, banning alcohol advertising on school buses and bus shelters near schools.
• Recruited a new Adjudication Panelist with extensive youth market research expertise, strengthening the Panel’s capacity to assess marketing directed at or appealing to young people.

ABAC Management Committee Independent Chair, Hon Tony Smith, said the Scheme’s expanding role reflects a mature regulatory approach: “ABAC’s role in maintaining high marketing standards remains vital to supporting positive public health outcomes.”

The full 2025 ABAC Annual Report and Year in Review are available online.