The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) is an essential starting point for any advertising agency working on briefs for alcohol advertisers, and agencies must ensure their employees understand code and compliance processes and requirements.

If you have new staff allocated to alcohol clients, or need to brush up on your alcohol marketing code and pre-vetting knowledge, a number of services and guidance notes are available to you.

*Reminder:  Seek pre-vetting of alcohol advertisements as early as possible. ABAC can take up to 4 business days to have material pre-vetted.

Annual briefing sessions

These ABAC sessions are held for alcohol companies and their agencies to become more familiar with The ABAC Scheme. In addition, both ABAC and The Communications Council offer small group workshops tailored to alcohol advertisers.

Topline codes, legal and regulatory guidance is available to TCC members. To learn more or to book a session, email us at membership@communicationscouncil.org.au.

Guidance notes

ABAC has developed Guidance Notes to assist alcohol companies and agencies in interpreting the Code and its intentions.  The Guidance Notes are available for download from the ABAC Guidance Notes webpage.

Contacting the AAPS Service

All new AAPS applications must be completed via the Online Pre-vetting Application Lodgement link.

On lodging a new AAPS application you will automatically be sent a copy of your application and pre-vetter contact details via email and you will then need to send the material you wish to have considered to your allocated pre-vetter via email.
Your allocated pre-vetter becomes the ‘lead’ pre-vetter for the application and will manage it though the pre-vetting process until the material is finally approved or rejected.

AAPS does not guarantee same day turnaround and sufficient time (at least 4 business days) must be allowed and built into timeframes.