Yahoo News Japan's crackdown on beer ads leaves sour taste for Hollywood A-listers thirsty for endorsement deals
Japan's formulaic beer adverts, which have featured a string of Hollywood stars, are going down the drain after the industry decided to ban close-up shots of drinkers downing frothy pints and enhanced gulping sound effects.
Stars of the music and movie worlds have long been a staple of beer commercials in Japan - including a number of foreign actors such as Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford .
And, inevitably, the advert will end with the smiling star declaring "Oishi!", the Japanese term for delicious.
But an industry body has drawn up guidelines calling on brewing firms to stop using close-up images of happy drinkers and the inevitable accompanying gulping sounds.
The adverts glamourise beer and encourage alcohol abuse, the Shukan Post magazine reported.
The guidelines also recommend that the stars - and all the extras - of the adverts be at least 25 years old. At present, anyone aged 20 or older - the legal age for drinking alcohol in Japan - can appear in adverts, meaning that youthful-looking celebrities are much in demand.
The industry panel has also called for beer manufacturers to avoid using characters from video games and "anime" titles because they appeal to a younger demographic and may encourage under-age drinking, the Japan Trends website reported.
The new guidelines will make business even more difficult for Japan's five major brewing companies, which saw domestic consumption shrink by 3 per cent in 2016.
Beer sales are contracting due to the nation's ageing population, combined with increased competition from imported wines and spirits.
