Visual attention to alcohol labels: an exploratory eye-tracking experiment

Current alcohol labelling goes unnoticed by consumers. In addition, EU legislation does not obligate the alcohol industry to include any health warning labels on alcohol packagings. This study aims to explore how the size and design of alcohol by volume (ABV) labels, along with the alcohol strength presented on these labels, influence visual attention toward them. We also examine how label size and alcohol strength influence visual attention toward a health warning label on alcoholic beverages. Using an experimental human laboratory design, we tracked the eye-movements of 64 participants while they viewed beers with different ABV (0.4%, 4.6% vs. 15%). We measured the number of fixations toward ABV labelling which varied in size and design (text-only vs. traffic light). A health warning label was also included on the beers for half of the participants and size was manipulated as a between-subject factor. Results showed strong evidence that the number of fixations was higher when the ABV labels were larger and used a traffic light system. Likewise, we found a higher number of fixations toward larger health warning labels and differences in visual attention depending on the ABV content presented. In conclusion, this study indicates that current alcohol labelling is insufficient to draw the attention of consumers and suggests that future alcohol labelling must be larger and with a graphic design to attract attention.