Should liquor ads be allowed on television Essay

Should liquor ads be allowed on television - Essay Example Firstly, most liquor advertisements downplay the factual attributes of the product by focusing on the generation of images and contexts that connote camaraderie, escape, refreshment, and relaxation. Secondly, the youth’s exposure to liquor advertisements often lead to the youth’s heightened interest, trial at young age or increase in frequency and volume of consumption. From a business perspective, advertising is meant to stir the awareness, induce purchase, develop the consumption habit, and build loyalty of the target consumers on the company’s products and services. In the U.S. alone, companies spend nearly $2billion yearly for advertising on both mainstream and digital media, according to a position paper entitled Alcohol Advertising and the Youth. Furthermore, almost 2 million advertising placements on television have been made between 2001 and 2006. Approximately 20% of television alcohol advertisements were on programming that the youth age 12 to 20 were m ore likely to watch than adults of legal drinking age. This finding reinforces the assumption that the companies deem the youth as primary target market of their advertisements. In a similar vein, a briefing paper entitled The Advertising of Alcohol, in support of Increased Restrictions stated that the broadening of communication venues for liquor advertisements through the addition of sponsorship, competition, and special promotions in the brands’ campaign plan underscore the companies’ goal of communicating the relevance of liquor products to the youth.