Corney & Barrow rapped for breakfast wine promo

Wine bar operator Corney & Barrow (C&B) has been ordered not to repeat an advert that suggested drinking alcohol with breakfast can make work meetings more interesting.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint against an email ad that stated: "Forget boring team meetings in the office. Book a Beaujolais breakfast with C&B on Thursday 18th November and enjoy a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau with a full English breakfast for £10.

"We guarantee your meeting minutes will be taken to a whole new level!".

The ASA ruled that it broke a clause in its code that forbids marketing that is likely to encourage people to adopt styles of drinking that were unwise.

In particular, the ASA said the ad's claim "that's a red worth getting out of bed for", and stating that the promotion ran between 7.30am and 11am, could encourage people to drink at breakfast or early in the day when they wouldn't normally do so.

C&B refuted the claim that its ad encouraged people to drink alcohol with breakfast, saying the offer was for a single annual event and for a small glass of wine when purchased with a breakfast, which would offset the effects of alcohol.

The company said drinking alcohol with businesses meetings is culturally ingrained in the financial heart of the City, where its sites are located, and the decision to include alcohol would be up to the individual companies.

C&B also pointed out the ad included the statement: "Please drink responsibly."