Alcohol advertising, when aimed at young males, uses sex and the strong urge for sexual identity through fulfillment, to influence the buying habits of the individual.

OVERVIEW

(Download Alcohol Advertising overview as a PDF)

LEADER PREPARATION

• Videotape several beer commercials for discussion.
• Before the meeting, know your specific aim so you maintain perspective and impact.
• Encourage participants bring to the meeting their perspective on two beer commercials with which they are most familiar.
• Bring with you the list of questions outlined in the Alcohol in Advertising Article Review (Riordan, T. [1989, March 27]. Miller Guy Life: The Lites of Spring. The New Republic, pp. 16-17.)
• Be a facilitator, not a lecturer.

GROUP BUILDING

• Ask someone in the group to hum or sing familiar tunes from current or past commercials. Have several ideas ready to get them started.
• Divide the group into smaller groups of 4-5 and give each group ten minutes to create an original commercial about a product you assign to them.

GROUP PRESENTATION

• Ask the entire group to name which commercials they like the most (and why). Which ones do they like the least (and why)?
• Ask the group what, in their opinion, makes a successful commercial.
• Explain to the group that they will observe some videotaped beer commercials. Tell them to watch carefully and look at the content and message.
• Watch the videotape. Discuss observations.
• Control the conversation so as to stay on course with the intended focus.
• Pick the best time to use questions from the previously mentioned article review.
• Encourage precise, concise and personal answers.

WRAP-UP

• With meaningful explanation, encourage selective screening of commercials.
• Smile and go home.

IMPLICATIONS

It is imperative that through discussion and horizontal dialogue, we allow youth to discover the significance of selective and informal screening. Ask them the significance of being "on guard"and watching or reading commercials or advertisements.