12 Mar Celebrity booze brands are slipping into teens’ Instagram feeds, study warns
A new Australian study reveals celebrity alcohol brands are widely visible to under-18s on Instagram, raising concerns about how social media marketing may influence teens’ attitudes to drinking.
Teens can easily see celebrity alcohol promotions
Parents who assume social media platforms block alcohol advertising for under-18s may want to think again.
New research from La Trobe University’s Centre for Alcohol Policy Research has found that alcohol brands owned by celebrities are widely visible on Instagram – even to users well below the legal drinking age.
The study analysed more than 85,000 Instagram posts from 112 celebrities who own alcohol brands. Researchers then created a simulated Instagram account posing as a 15-year-old to see whether those posts could still be viewed.
The answer was clear: almost all of them could.
In fact, researchers found 98 per cent of celebrity alcohol posts were accessible to the under-age account, despite platform rules designed to restrict alcohol advertising.
Across the study period from 2020 to 2023, the posts collectively attracted more than 1 billion likes and 7.5 million comments, underscoring how widely they circulate online.
When marketing looks like everyday content
One of the biggest concerns for researchers was that many alcohol promotions didn’t look like advertising at all.
Three-quarters of the celebrities in the study mentioned their alcohol brand at least once in their posts, and more than a third even referenced it in their Instagram biographies.
Yet only 1.7 per cent of alcohol-related posts clearly disclosed they were advertisements, using labels such as #ad, “sponsored post” or “paid partnership”.
Under Australia’s Ad Standards Code of Ethics, advertising must be clearly identifiable as advertising – including on social media.
But when celebrities casually promote their own alcohol brands in photos or lifestyle posts, the promotional nature of the content can easily be overlooked.
Why researchers say teens are particularly vulnerable
According to the research team, celebrity-backed alcohol marketing can be particularly influential for young audiences.
Lead researcher Gedefaw Alen says teens are constantly exposed to posts from the influencers and celebrities they admire.
“Millions of young people view posts from their favourite celebrities every day,” he said.
Previous research has linked celebrity alcohol promotions with earlier alcohol use and riskier drinking behaviours among adolescents and young adults.
In total, the celebrities in the study promoted 133 alcohol brands, most commonly wine, whiskey and tequila.
Calls for stricter rules on social media alcohol marketing
Professor Emmanuel Kuntsche, Director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, says the findings highlight gaps in the regulation of alcohol promotion online.
“Current age-gating and advertising disclosure rules on social media are failing young people,” he said.
Researchers argue that stronger government regulation is needed to ensure alcohol promotions are clearly labelled and hidden from underage users, even when celebrities are promoting their own products.
What parents should know
Australian health guidelines recommend people under 18 avoid alcohol, as early drinking is linked with higher risks of injury, health problems and long-term alcohol harm.
However, national data shows around one in three Australian teenagers aged 14–17 report drinking alcohol, suggesting exposure to alcohol culture – including online – remains widespread.
For parents, the research is a reminder that social media feeds may include subtle alcohol marketing, even when it doesn’t appear to be advertising.
Talking with teens about how influencer marketing works – and how brands use celebrities to promote products – can help young people recognise when they’re being targeted.
Parent information: Helping teens spot hidden alcohol marketing
Social media is full of posts that look like everyday lifestyle content but are actually advertising. When celebrities promote their own alcohol brands, it can be difficult for young people to recognise it as marketing.
You can help by:
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- Talking openly about influencer marketing. Explain that celebrities and influencers often promote products they own or are paid to feature.
- Encouraging critical thinking. Ask teens what they notice in posts and whether they think the content is trying to sell something.
- Checking social media settings together. Some platforms allow users to limit certain types of ads.
- Reinforcing family expectations about alcohol. Clear conversations about drinking can help teens make safer choices later.
Helping teens understand how marketing works online is one of the best ways to reduce its influence.
