Stiffy Vodka products are to be removed from sale following a ruling by the Portman Group that the name ‘suggested an association with sexual success’.

Following a complaint from Molson Coors Brewing Company that the drink’s name was “overtly sexual reference, or a comment about the alcoholic strength of the drink”, as well as suggesting that the bright orange packaging for the Jaffa Cake flavoured vodka and the red of the Kola Kubez would attract under 18s.

While the Portman Group did not agree that the design of the products had a particular appeal to under-18s, it did agree about the sexual connotations.

It said: “The Panel noted that ‘stiffy’ was a common slang term for an erection and considered that the brand name therefore had strong sexual connotations; indeed, it noted that in the Panel’s decision on the previous complaint the company had been criticised for playing on these connotations in some of its marketing activity. It therefore concluded that the brand name suggested an association with sexual success and accordingly found the product in breach of Code paragraph 3.2(d).”

The company, in consultation with the Portman Group’s Advisory Service, has changed the brand name to Stivy’s.

It had argued that the brand name had been chosen because Stiffy was the nickname of a person involved in the development of the drink; it had not been chosen for its sexual connotations.