Posted by SayCheeZ!: 

Their thinking is that ads like that somehow give impressionable young minds the idea that drinking equals sexual-social success.

I love the use of the word "somehow" as if it's a far-fetched and absurd idea and that of course the use of glamorous people living the high life and hooking up is merely coincidental rather than the tried and true, studied, analyzed, tested and proven advertising method of over a hundred years standing!

Posted by SayCheeZ!: 
From a website: The British ad police are at it again. This time they're targeting liquor ads that feature attractive people in their campaigns.

Their thinking is that ads like that somehow give impressionable young minds the idea that drinking equals sexual-social success.

And when was the last time you saw a nude or semi-nude or erotic image associated with an alcohol product advert, or on a label, in the US? It is verboten there to use such images in alcohol promotions for exactly the same reasons that the ASA advances in Britain. The US doesn't allow advertising for alcohol on TV but the Brits do.

Secondly, because of the history of such ads, and Brit laws relating to club closing times, before stricter rules were applied to advertising and looser rules on closing times, many Brit city and town centres turned into little more than violent zoos at closing time on Friday and Saturday nights because the drinkers would suck down as much as they could hold before being put on the streets. Many places are still that way every weekend. Something else you don't see, and wouldn't tolerate, in the US.

It (the sheer level of street drunkenness and violence) is a specifically British thing not seen in other parts of Europe and the legal drinking age here is only 18 vs the US at 21... but with most Brits starting on their "road to perdition" at between 14 and 16... some as young as 10 - 12.

It can be most disheartening to see, and I have seen it, to come across a 14 or 15yo girl left raped, beaten, and bleeding in the street who has no recall of who did it or even when or where it happened because she was blown out of her mind on drink. Or a teenage boy beaten senseless and left with brain damage for the rest of his life because some other teens thought it funny, or amusing, to have a go at him as a random victim of their alcohol fuelled macho fantasies.

We can do without adverts that promote that behaviour, thank you very much.

Studio36

Posted by studio36uk: 
And when was the last time you saw a nude or semi-nude or erotic image associated with an alcohol product advert, or on a label, in the US?

Have you seen a beer commercial?  Just about any of them?  I'd call a man fanatasizing about two women fighting in a fountain for his pleasure (or over a beer, I forget) at least semi-erotic.  Sex is almost always used to sell alcohol.  Sam Adams is the only brand I can think of that doesn't rely heavily on sex in its ads.

And I've seen in many parts of the US, the bars close at 1 or 2 am, so people are restless and drive home (or to the next party) drunk.  That's awful.  In NYC, I've several times left the bar at 5 am and walked, taken the subway, or caught a cab home.  Unfortunately New York is the exception, not the rule.

Posted by DreamPretty�: 
sex sells everything...not just alcohol,
it's all part of being a true consumer...
we're supposed to believe that our greatest pleasure in life is to get fuc-ed up, laid, and have babies.

There is a great anti-advert on Brit TV now for OceanSpray cranberry juice. Three "stone foxes" in white bikinis cavorting in, first, a pool of floating cranberries and then dancing in a forest... the voice over tells the whole story. After describing the benefits of cranberry (good taste, vitamins, ect) the voice over says:

"But if you think cranberry juice will make you look like them stop kidding yourself. They were born that way."

Sexy and sex based advertising? Sure. But I love that advert for the fundamental truth of it.

Studio36

Posted by Brian Diaz: 
.......  Sam Adams is the only brand I can think of that doesn't rely heavily on sex in its ads.

Oh come on, you love that page boy hair cut of his, don't ya? ;-)

studio36uk wrote:

There is a great anti-advert on Brit TV now for OceanSpray cranberry juice. Three "stone foxes" in white bikinis cavorting in, first, a pool of floating cranberries and then dancing in a forest... the voice over tells the whole story. After describing the benefits of cranberry (good taste, vitamins, ect) the voice over says:

"But if you think cranberry juice will make you look like them stop kidding yourself. They were born that way."

Sexy and sex based advertising? Sure. But I love that advert for the fundamental truth of it.

Studio36

They'd never try that here in the USA. People wouldn't laugh, they'd sue.

Brian Diaz wrote:
Again, a case of a company understanding its primary demographic...

So explain "Tony Sinclair" - a gap-toothed, slightly dumpy man of African decent who has an English accent and pushes Tanquery Gin!

SayCheeZ! wrote:
From a website:

Rather than fight it, the makers of Lambrini changed that ad and are now seeking fat, unattractive men to become its newest male models

Guys, the Web site is www.lambrinigirls.co.uk
*******
Here's the link to a similar news report Houston Chronicle

WoW!...does that mean I finally get a chance to be "discovered?"

FKVPhotoGraphics wrote:
WoW!...does that mean I finally get a chance to be "discovered?"

I applied.
I didn't get the job.
I must be bad!!!

studio36uk wrote:
And when was the last time you saw a nude or semi-nude or erotic image associated with an alcohol product advert, or on a label, in the US? It is verboten there to use such images in alcohol promotions for exactly the same reasons that the ASA advances in Britain. The US doesn't allow advertising for alcohol on TV but the Brits do.

Secondly, because of the history of such ads, and Brit laws relating to club closing times, before stricter rules were applied to advertising and looser rules on closing times, many Brit city and town centres turned into little more than violent zoos at closing time on Friday and Saturday nights because the drinkers would suck down as much as they could hold before being put on the streets. Many places are still that way every weekend. Something else you don't see, and wouldn't tolerate, in the US.

It (the sheer level of street drunkenness and violence) is a specifically British thing not seen in other parts of Europe and the legal drinking age here is only 18 vs the US at 21... but with most Brits starting on their "road to perdition" at between 14 and 16... some as young as 10 - 12.

It can be most disheartening to see, and I have seen it, to come across a 14 or 15yo girl left raped, beaten, and bleeding in the street who has no recall of who did it or even when or where it happened because she was blown out of her mind on drink. Or a teenage boy beaten senseless and left with brain damage for the rest of his life because some other teens thought it funny, or amusing, to have a go at him as a random victim of their alcohol fuelled macho fantasies.

We can do without adverts that promote that behaviour, thank you very much.

Studio36

Interesting logical leap:

1. Britain allows sexy advertising of alcohol
2. Britain has a problem with binge drinking and alcohol-fueled violence

Therefore sexy advertising causes binge drinking and violence

I'm not sure I see it myself, particularly seeing as most of these young idiots drink crappy lager advertised by men in bear suits. It will take a lot more to control the binge drinking culture in the UK that removing a few acres of skin from the Telly.

(I'm British, but have not lived there in 15 years)