Alcohol charities have strongly criticised a new 99p shot from the company behind BuzzBallz, warning that its low price and aggressive marketing are deliberately designed to appeal to children. The brightly coloured ready-to-drink cocktails, sold in spherical containers, have gained popularity among younger drinkers and on social media, particularly TikTok, where users share tasting videos and cocktail hacks.
Nostalgia Marketing Under Fire
The new product is being marketed as a nostalgic purchase, with the company deploying an ice-cream van named the 99 Liquor Whip to serve the shots at university campuses this month. The campaign promises 'unapologetically fun flavour experiences'. However, critics argue this approach is a thinly veiled attempt to attract underage drinkers.
Jem Roberts, head of external affairs at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, stated: 'This launch looks like a product entirely designed to appeal to children while hiding behind a thin “nostalgia” label. Sweet flavours, TikTok-style branding, and even an ice-cream van – it’s hardly subtle.' He emphasised that cheap prices and heavy marketing are key drivers of alcohol harm, and a 99p shot promoted as fun and shareable combines both. Despite declines in youth drinking, the UK still has some of the highest rates of heavy episodic drinking among young people in Europe.
Calls for Stricter Regulation
Roberts called for better regulation, noting that while alcohol industry rules prohibit products from particularly appealing to children, examples like this keep appearing. Joe Marley, executive director at Alcohol Change UK, added: 'Alcohol companies constantly find new ways to make alcohol seem essential to having a good time. The group behind BuzzBallz and Fireball Whisky is using blatant tactics to promote its new range, first reaching students on campus.'
Marley highlighted the company's track record of creating strong, sweet-tasting alcohol at pocket-money prices, using playful approaches, bright colours, and cultural trends to embed alcohol in young people's lives. He also expressed concern about off-campus advertising, such as colourful ads in high-footfall public spaces like bus stops and high streets, which risk appealing to children and young people.
'Evidence is clear that price, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis, paired with clever marketing has a big effect on drinking habits and normalises alcohol. We need an environment that protects everyone, especially children, from constant efforts to encourage drinking,' Marley said.
Manufacturer's Response
The Sazerac brand, which manufactures the drink, stated it takes concerns about underage drinking seriously and that all activity is governed by strict UK alcohol marketing, retail, and age-verification standards. It said: 'Price alone does not determine whether a product appeals to minors; responsible marketing, clear adult targeting, and robust retail compliance are the critical factors.' The company described the new product as a clearly adult-only alcohol activation, centred around flavoured spirit shots, nightlife occasions, and legal-age consumers, reflecting well-established nostalgia trends commonly used to engage adult consumers.
