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Alcohol Advertising

Alcohol advertising is the promotion of alcoholic beverages by the alcohol industry through a variety of media. Along with tobacco advertising, it is one of the most highly-regulated forms of marketing.

Campaign intentions

Many advertising campaigns have attempted to increase brand and customer loyalty.

Target markets
The intended audience of the alcohol advertising campaigns have changed throughout the years, with some brands being specifically targeted towards a particular demographic. Some drinks are traditionally seen as a male drink, particularly beers and lagers, while others are predominantly drunk by females. Some brands have been specifically developed to appeal to people that would not normally drink that kind of beverage.

One area in which the alcohol industry have faced intense criticism and tightened legislation is in their targeting of young people. Central to this is the development of alcopops � sweet-tasting, brightly coloured drinks with names chosen to appeal to a younger audience.

Methods of advertising

Common methods of advertising include:

* Television commercial campaigns
* Print media campaigns
* Billboard campaigns
* Event Sponsorship (sporting events and others)
* Product placement in films and television programs
* Product placement at points of sale
* Branding
o Beermats
o Beer trays
o Key chains
o T-shirts
o Jackets
o Baseball caps
o Coolers
o Pins
o Mirrors
* Public house ownership

Advertising around the world

The European Union and World Health Organization (WHO) have both specified that the advertising of alcohol should not be strictly controlled. Some countries, such as Kenya and Norway, have banned all alcohol advertising on television and billboard.

United Kingdom

Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority has some control over what can and cannot appear in advertising campaigns in the United Kingdom. In January 2005 an Ofcom ruling stated that the campaigns should not imply that there is a link between the consumption of alcohol and social or sexual success, or the perception of physical attractiveness. Lambrini, for example, were told to change their adverts in July 2005 when it depicted three women gaining the attention of an attractive man � they were told to change it to a show an unattractive man.

Greene King, a brewer which owns over 750 pubs in the UK, decided in February 2005 to cease the sale of drinks and cocktails with undesirable connotations behind their names. Any that had an association "with sexual promiscuity, machismo, anti-social behaviour or illegal acts" were banned.

"Responsible drinking" campaigns

There have been various campaigns to help prevent alcoholism, under-age drinking and drink driving. The Portman Group, an association of leading drinks producers in the UK, are responsible for various such campaigns. These include responsible drinking, drink driving (and designated drivers), Proof of Age cards. The Drink Aware campaign [5], for example, aims to educate people about how to drink sensibly and avoid binge drinking. The web site address is displayed as part of all of the adverts for products made by members of the group.

Sponsorship in sport

The sponsorship of sporting events and sportspeople is banned in many countries. For example, the primary club competition in European rugby union, the Heineken Cup, is called the H Cup in France because of that country's restrictions on alcohol advertising. However, such sponsorship is still common in other areas, such as the United States.

Alcohol advertising is common in motor racing competitions, and is particularly prominent in NASCAR racing. One major example of this is the Busch Series, sponsored by a brand of beer sold by Anheuser-Busch. Budweiser, the best-known Anheuser-Busch brand, sponsors the car of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., arguably one of the most popular Nextel Cup drivers.

Furthermore, NASCAR mandates drivers under 21 not be permitted to wear a "Budweiser Pole Award" or any alcohol-branded sticker on their car. In such cases, as shown with Nextel Cup driver Kyle Busch or Busch Series driver Reed Sorensen, the drivers' cars carry a generic "Pole Award" sticker with the corporate logo. One team, Petty Enterprises, refuses to participate in the Budweiser Pole Award and forfeits all alcohol monies won.

For "hard" liquor and distilled spirits, legalised in 2005, teams must run a responsible-drinking sticker clearly visible on the car. For Jack Daniel's, the theme is "Pace Yourself", and includes on NASCAR's Web site a waving yellow flag warning drinkers. For Crown Royal, the television ads feature the car with the slogan "Be a champion" and it acting as a pace car to drivers, warning them of responsibility. Jim Beam has radio ads and NASCAR mandated statements about alcohol control.

Although tobacco companies have been the main source of financial backing in Formula One, some alcohol brands have also been associated with the sport. For example, Budweiser appears on the WilliamsF1 car and the Foster's Group (with the Foster's Lager brand) sponsor numerous circuits around the world.

Anheuser-Busch has evaded the French alcohol advertising ban in Formula One when their Busch Entertainment theme park logos appeared in places where their Budweiser logo would appear on the WilliamsF1 car at races where alcohol advertising is banned.

Some stadiums, particularly in the U.S., bear the names of breweries or beer brands via naming rights arrangements, such as Coors Field, Miller Park and the new Busch Stadium.

Diageo are a major sponsor of many sporting events through their various brands. For example, Johnnie Walker sponsor the Championship at Gleneagles and Classic golf tournaments along with the Team McLaren Formula One car.

Cricket is a sport with a large amount of alcohol sponsorship. The 2005 Ashes, for example, featured sponsorship hoardings by brands such as Red Stripe, Thwaites Lancaster Bomber and Wolf Blass wines.

The source of this article is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

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