Essay, Research Paper: Alcohol Advertising

The world of advertising is exciting and diverse. It has the ability to influence society to follow certain trends or ideas. Every where you look there is some form of advertising. From television to radio, magazines to billboards, product advertising is a large factor in what we do.
Alcohol advertising is one of the largest branches of advertising. Millions of dollars each year is spent to advertise alcohol. The ads use tactics to incite people to use their product. Many times people are shown smiling and having a good time. Other ads have shown beautiful women talking to plain guys because the guy was drinking a certain type of beer. Focusing on one ad in particular is the Absolut Vodka advertising. The ad uses popular trends combined with the vodka product to produce a pun on that certain trend. The ads tend to be very funny and sometimes make a bold statement. The Absolut Vodka ads are so popular that there was a book published with a collection of all the ads. The Absolut ads tend to appeal to younger demographics. The ads are cutting edge and exciting. They are often funny or make fun of serious issues. Young people are incited by these ads because they are different and bold. The ad also promotes the ideal that if you drink Absolut Vodka you too will be bold and exciting. In this advertisement for Absolut Vodka the bottle is an image of bags with a train background. The meaning of most Absolut Vodka ads is political. The meaning of this advertisement has to do with Sweden years ago. The ad also gives the viewer the idea if you drink Absolut Vodka you will move up in the world. It also presents the ideas of going places and of a high status. Personally this ad does not make myself want to go out and drink. I think this particular ad might be focused at an older audience. The cool looking design of the bottle in all of the Absolut Vodka advertisements does appeal to the eye and many young viewers.
Alcohol advertising plays a major role in underage drinking. The fun and exciting ad’s appeal to young people inciting them to drink. Alcohol advertising should be banned from the younger adult set magazines and not also should not be aired on television channels directed at the younger set. I think that this would greatly help reduce the statistics of underage drinking. Alcohol advertising is not just selling alcohol its selling trouble.


Word Count: 420