A UK consumer complaint against a Hello Kitty branded red wine produced by Torti Wine has been upheld by self-regulatory body The Portman Group.

The grievance filed with the group's Independent Complaints Panel (ICP), had questioned the legality of promoting alcohol using a character that the complainant argued was a “children’s toy brand”.

Packaging of the Hello Kitty still red wine, the ICP said, gave the “overall impression” that it would have an appeal to underage consumers.

It added that the branding of the red wine had fallen foul of its code that outlines that any alcohol brand’s “packaging and any promotional material or activity should not in any direct or indirect way have a particular appeal to under-18s.”

Torti Wine said it would no longer be selling its Hello Kitty branded wine in the UK following the decision.

The Portman Group is a self-governed trade association in the UK funded by the alcohol industry, helping to regulate alcohol labelling, packaging and promotions in the country.

Italian vintner Torti Wine has been producing Hello Kitty branded wines since 2007. The range includes a Hello Kitty Sweet Pink rosé sparkling wine, as well as both red and white still variants.

Torti Wine argued that Hello Kitty was not a children's toy and had an appeal with adults.

The producer said: “Hello Kitty wines are for adult consumption and sold only in places that own an alcohol licence. This is to protect and correctly sell the Hello Kitty wines in places where minors don’t have access.”

The ICP rebuked the argument, noting that the brand had a “level of nostalgia” attached to it but that when it considered how it was marketed in the UK it was predominantly marketed to children.

The UK alcohol advertising watchdog added that the Hello Kitty brand had a children’s TV show and video game. It also pointed to the Hello Kitty website that hosted a children’s privacy policy which it said “reinforced the perception” that it was targeted towards children.

Speaking on the decision, Rachel Childs, chair of the ICP, said: “In this case, it was clear from the producer’s response that it hadn’t intended to market the Hello Kitty wine to children and as an overseas producer they were unaware of the self-regulatory system we have in place in the UK to enforce responsible marketing and protect consumers, particularly those under-18”.

Hello Kitty is a fictional character that was created in Japan in 1975 by entertainment company Sanrio. The brand has since gone on to produce multiple entertainment media, products and theme parks.

"Hello Kitty wine pulled from UK market after branding complaint upheld" was originally created and published by Just Drinks , a GlobalData owned brand.

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