Upstreaming Alcohol Policy

Note this jarring juxtaposition found on page 4 of a BevNetwork report on the distilled spirits industry:

On “social responsibility”:

Social responsibility has always been the industry’s priority, but this decade it was taken to new heights with innovative programming….

On liquor TV ads:

Advertising of alcohol in the U.S. has always been unique, controlled by self-regulatory bodies that have created standards for ethical advertising. From 1948 to 1996, based on a voluntary ban implemented by DISCUS, no TV station or network even accepted liquor ads.  That changed in 1996 when DISCUS dropped its ban and Crown Royal Canadian whisky debuted a TV ad in Texas, paving the way for more…. Flip on a cable station today and it’s hard to miss one of the clever TV commercials for liquor brands—all with the ‘Drink Responsibly’ slogan woven in.

Why was the voluntary ban dropped?  As discussed previously in this blog (here and here), the expansion of spirits advertising has been a naked attempt at product normalization for the purposes of increased profits, with no regard for the social costs.

The alcohol industry and its trade journals have cheapened the word “responsibility” to the extent that it is essentially meaningless.

Reference:

Akkam, A.  & Bieler, K.W. (2010). Decade In review 2000-2009: A transformation of the industry:  Recapping ten extraordinary years. Retrieved on December 18, 2009, from http://www.bevnetwork.com/pdf/jan10_Decade.pdf.