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Let’s drink to good ads

Posted in General February 23rd, 2007 by Oliver Milman

Do you have a drink problem? If you do, or you feel that the only drink problem you have is that you don’t have enough of the stuff, it’s now increasingly likely that the people telling you to lay off the source will be, bizarrely, the drinks makers themselves.

Yesterday saw the unveiling of a very odd sort of marriage. The Scottish Executive has corralled some of the biggest manufacturers of alcoholic beverages in the country and made them make various promises on the way they will market themselves.

The companies, including Guinness owner Diageo and Scottish & Newcastle, makers of Foster’s, solemnly outlined how they will make very responsible adverts from now on and will do lots of wonderful things to help people who regularly enjoy drinking when they’re not thirsty.

This would seem to be evidence of a remarkable about-turn by the drinks industry since the controversy of drinks marketing and binge drinking last year. Two TV ads, for WKD and Smirnoff Ice, were hauled off air for allegedly appealing to youngsters, while supermarkets were attacked for cut-price drinks promotions.

The spotlight is glaring so much on drinks marketing that it’s not surprising that the manufacturers are falling over themselves to save us from becoming vomit-stained reprobates. Drinks market is fast becoming the only advertising sector where the essential core message is “Yes, you can buy our products but, oh, please don’t buy too many of them and make sure you’re in bed safely by 11pm.”

Of course, under-age drinking shouldn’t be encouraged. But there’s a personal responsibility issue here too – kids have been trying to get drunk for donkey’s years, it’s not a phenomenon that’s been created by the ad industry. Bored teenagers not checking for ID at supermarket check-outs are arguably more culpable.

The impact upon the advertising industry is potentially worrying too – will all drinks ads all merge into one big gloopy warning about the dangers of alcohol? Will the likes of those iconic Guinness ads never be seen again because manufacturers are so worried that a fish on the bicycle or surfing with horses doesn’t convey the right message?