To make a 7.8% abv cider, name it Suicyder and illustrate its packaging with a noose would be an extremely obnoxious thing to do. And yet that’s exactly what Cornwall’s The Bearded Brewery has done.
So a round of applause for the Portman Group, which yesterday upheld a complaint about the cider for “making a clear association” between drinking alcohol and the act of suicide.
The trade group’s Independent Complaints Panel ruled: “It was highly irresponsible to portray death by hanging in such an obvious manner, using the name Suicyder with a prominently placed noose in combination with a human skull, and the wording ‘juice from the noose’.”
The cider “created a direct link between suicide, alcohol and dangerous behaviour”, the panel concluded.
Risibly, The Bearded Brewery had defended itself by claiming the noose was used “to reflect the owner’s previous career as a tree surgeon where a noose was used to dismantle unsafe trees”. And then the business declined to work with the Portman Group Advisory Service to amend its product in line with the ruling.
The Bearded Brewery tells The Grocer it “stands by its branding and choice of name of the product Suicyder” – and it understands “that it is important to discuss and share and create awareness for such a sensitive topic [as suicide]”.
In its latter point, the brewery is correct: it is definitely important to raise awareness – arguably more now than it has been for years. In 2018, there were 6,507 suicides registered in the UK, according to an Office of National Statistics report published last month. “The latest rate is significantly higher than that in 2017 and represents the first increase since 2013.”
But then The Bearded Brewery goes on to insist: “Depression and mental illness are subjects that are commonly discussed over a drink, and we feel our product encourages that dialogue which then often leads to a good resolution.” That, frankly, is dangerous twaddle.
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The destructive relationship between depression and booze is extremely well-documented. Take the Samaritans’ warning of the “strong link between alcohol misuse and suicide… Alcohol can lower a person’s inhibitions enough for them to act on suicidal thoughts. It can also affect someone’s mood and deepen depression.” It’s especially the case for men, who are at higher risk of suicide than women and more likely to turn to alcohol when in distress.
Look, in a crowded food and drink industry, with thousands more startups launching every year, it’s understandable that brands will try everything they can to make an impact. That’s not just in the booze category. It’s why we’ve ended up with ‘edgily’ named brands like condiments maker Saucy Bitch. That’s crass. But not nearly as crass as Suicyder.
The lethal nature of depression and other mental illnesses is not a valid marketing tool (even if, as The Bearded Brewery pointed out to the Portman Group, ‘suicide’ is a commonly used word in beer and cider).
And it’s not something that can be ignored when stories on the subject are in the news with alarming regularity. Only a few days ago, for instance, Instagram made headlines with its pledge to ban drawings, memes, video and comics that portray self-harm and suicide.
If an industry as frequently toxic as social media can take a more responsible approach to self-killing, there’s absolutely no excuse for food and drink suppliers of every stripe not to do the same.
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