Oct 26: Now you may enjoy a glass of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc introduced by Marks & Spencer last week as ‘Colour Me’ label, while colouring the bottle label with a nice motif based on flowers, leaves and wildlife, suggesting that wine is a relaxing beverage but there is already some criticism by people who believe M &S is trivialising the excessive alcohol consumption by advertising wine as a relaxation drink
‘The childhood joy of colouring in is combined with a slightly more adult pastime in our Colour Me Sauvignon Blanc, new in stores this week. This dry Chilean white comes with an illustrated label for you to customise however you like,’ Marks & Spencer says on its website.
‘It’s a fun take on the growing trend for adult colouring books that are said to relieve stress – you can let your mind wander and your creative juices flow, while enjoying a delicious glass of wine. The company has tried to promote responsible drinking by adding ‘just be sure to stick to one glass of wine only if you want to make colouring inside the lines easier.’ The Colour Me wine is priced at £8.
The British retailer has teamed up with artist Daisy Fletcher, illustrator of adult colouring books, to create the stunning Colour Me Sauvignon Blanc bottle, designed with flowers, leaves and wildlife. She has produced two adult colouring books Birdtopia in 2016 and a follow-up in 2017 Into the Wild, besides a host of commissioned assignments. Both exemplify her slightly surreal takes on nature. M &S is also running a weekly competition for customers to win a magnum of Prosecco. The Chilean wine is described as crisp, fruity and fresh with top notes of gooseberry, lime and passion fruit.
While it might appear to be a fun thing to encourage adults to indulge in a bit of adult colouring and relax, M & S has been accused of trivialising ‘alcohol addiction’ by advertising wine as a relaxing drink. UK has been burdened with the alcoholism problem with excess consumption of wine and the advertisement to sell more through this scheme is not being appreciated in some circles.
According to Telegraph, Addiction specialist Eileen O'Kellaigh has warned M &S that it shouldn't mix what could be construed as mindfulness with drinking alcohol. The health expert added that drinkers should not be encouraged to turn to a glass of wine to "wind down" and relax as there are well known health risks with regular consumption.
She said: "Whilst I think that mindfulness and meditation can be very helpful, I don't agree that it should be accompanied by wine."We've seen the rise of the adult colouring in books over the last few years and many people have found them helpful. But meditation and mindfulness is not about drinking alcohol.
"We know that a rising number of people - especially women - use alcohol as a way to relax after a tough day. I think slapping a label on a bottle of wine and talking about how it can help relieve stress if you colour it in isn't a great idea.
Maggie Richards, meditation teacher and author of A Guide to Being a Better Being, said: "It is wise not to mix alcohol with attempting to journey into the inner realms of peace and alacrity." The trend for adult colouring books started in UK in 2014 and was said to be a helpful tool to relax and feel calm as in yoga or meditation.
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Subhash Arora
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