Each province sets its own rules, and a national campaign has to satisfy the strictest of them.
There is no single national rulebook
Three facts structuring everything else.
The sale and promotion of alcoholic drinks fall largely to the provinces, and each has its own body and its own texts.
Federal rules are added on top, notably on broadcasting and labelling.
And an online publication does not stop at borders: your video will be seen everywhere, which in practice subjects you to the strictest of the regimes that apply.
One consequence for method: a national campaign is built on the smallest common denominator, then adapted locally if the budget allows, never the other way round.
What is commonly restricted
Six elements, to be treated as prohibited by default until checked.
Consumption on screen, dealt with above.
Any association with driving a vehicle, with sport being practised or with an activity requiring alertness.
Any suggestion of a benefit for health, performance, courage or social success.
Any emphasis on the alcohol content as an argument.
Any presence, even in the background, of people who appear to be under the legal age.
And encouragement to drink quickly or in quantity.
The legal age is not uniform
Three practical consequences.
The minimum age differs by province, which rules out a single sentence of the "for over such an age only" kind on a national campaign.
The creators engaged must be clearly older than the highest minimum, and their audience must be verifiable as mostly adult.
And advertising targeting must exclude the age brackets concerned, which is set at publication and documented.
Improvisation is the main risk
Four production rules.
The script is written, approved, and shot as it stands. No improvised take is published.
The compulsory disclosures are said and displayed, in the approved wording.
The creator does not answer comments alone: the answers are prepared, because a badly answered comment commits you as much as the video.
And every published version is archived with its date, its target and its text.
How to run a national campaign
Five steps, in this order.
Have the concept approved before the writing, not after.
Write a version compliant with the strictest regime.
Choose creators whose profile raises no question of age or audience.
Shoot excluding any consumption shot, with backup shots.
And have the edited version reread, disclosures included, before publication.
What the camera may show, and what it avoids
| On screen | Generally accepted | To rule out |
|---|---|---|
| The product and its label | Yes | Fast consumption |
| A food pairing | Yes | A driving or sports context |
| A production site | Yes | Anyone appearing under age |
What always accompanies the video
The partnership disclosure, a responsible-consumption warning, and targeting limited to adults. Those three are not decorative.
What varies from one province to another
Advertising rules are not uniform across the territory. The exact scope, the mandatory notices and the permitted channels are confirmed with the competent authority and a lawyer before release.
The practical version
Four things that really work in this category.
The pairing with a dish, filmed in the kitchen, with nobody drinking.
The craft: the making, the ingredients, the place of production.
The service, a precise and aesthetic gesture, which films very well.
And the alcohol-free version of the product, where it exists, which escapes part of the constraints and reaches a wider audience.
One last marker: in this category the constraint is not a creative obstacle, it is a filter. Brands that accept not showing consumption end up producing the best videos, because they are forced to talk about the product rather than the effect.
Sources
Checked on 27 August 2026. Thresholds and rates change: where this guide and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
