Hard Solo gets a new name after the maker of alcoholic soft drinks was hit by complaints about the ‘nanny state’ – that’s what it will now be called
Alcoholic soft drink Hard Solo will undergo a rebrand to Hard Rated after fewer than a dozen complaints were filed with the marketing regulator.
Carlton & United Breweries said on Thursday its ready-to-drink alcoholic lemon drink would undergo a rebrand following a decision by the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme (ABAC).
The Asahi-owned company said they had pre-vetted the name with ABAC and this was deemed appropriate, but they have since changed their decision and ruled it breached the code because it had “a strong or obvious appeal on minors’.
The decision was based on ten complaints the ABAC received about the drink’s packaging and a promotional TikTok post.
One complaint stated that the drink is similar to the soft drink Solo, which is “consumed by minors.”
“It’s hard to imagine why they would think this is OK in 2023,” the complaint said.
It also noted that the name “sounds a bit like Han Solo, a Star Wars character”.
Another woman complained: ‘My kids drink Solo and now you want them to drink a booze-filled version? What’s next? “Hard” Mount Franklin? This must be stopped.’
Hard Solo is renamed Hard Rated after complaints were made about the advertising code for alcoholic drinks
A spokesperson for Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) said the company was disappointed by the decision but respected ABAC’s work in regulating alcohol marketing.
The spokesperson said: ‘As we comply with the ABAC decision and the Hard Solo brand exits the market, we want to reassure the many Australian adults who have loved Hard Solo that tastes will not change if the name changes to Hard Rated. .’
“In accordance with ABAC regulations, CUB will ensure that the last Hard Solo pack leaves our delivery network by February 9, 2024.”
The brewer added that Hard Solo tap stickers in pubs and clubs will also have switched to Hard Rated by that date.
The announcement of the rebrand sparked reactions on social media.
One X user said ‘the nanny state strikes again’ and described the change as ‘pathetic’.
A Teal MP had previously demanded the drink be banned, which subsequently backfired and caused the product to sell out at Dan Murphy’s and BWS.
Member for North Sydney Kylea Tink met with alcohol industry figures in August after telling the media they would push the boundaries of advertising and even ban the product.
Part of the reason she wanted it banned was because it “tastes just like soda” and “not like alcohol.”
Sales were already strong due to nostalgia for old advertisements of the iconic drink.
Its popularity has been helped by nostalgia for the 80s and 90s advertising campaign (above) with the slogan ‘light on the fizz so you can slam it down fast’
Teals MP Kylea Tink (pictured) led a campaign against the drink’s controversial branding
Reviews of the drink on Dan Murphy’s website are also favorable, with many also saying the drink tastes just like the soda.
One reviewer said Hard Solo tastes almost identical to a regular Solo, but with “a very slight aftertaste of alcohol.”
‘Growing up solo I wanted to try this one. It just tastes like solo, with the extra buzz you get when it’s alcoholic and surreal.”
Several bottle shops confirmed that ‘Hard Solo’ sold out in August and September thanks to publicity.
“There might be a four-pack in the area, but we’re completely sold out,” someone said. “I had a guy buy a business after he heard on the radio that he wanted to ban the business.”