The war on alcohol and advertising is in headlines again as the iconic Heineken Open is renamed the ASB Classic.

Heineken's distributor says they didn't pull from the Heineken Open because of increasing pressure to damper down alcohol advertising.

The tennis event will be re-named the ASB Classic.

DB Breweries's Managing Director Andy Routley says they chose to become a long-term partner rather than a naming rights sponsor as part of a natural end of an 18 year-long contract

"Every relationship needs to be looked at and refreshed, so we're very happy to come back and move back into a lower tier of sponsorship which we think is appropriate for the event, and appropriate again for what Tennis Auckland want to do with the event as well." .

However he expects rules to be tightened in the future.

"It's fair to say it was a consideration but it isn't the primary reason. It is something that could effect both us and tennis Auckland in the long term, so it is a factor but not the main factor."