English Assignment - Alchohol Ads/Discourse
Uploaded by bogberto on Mar 14, 2004
Alcohol And Advertising
By Roberto
It is not fair to say that all people drink to gain acceptance, or that all people use drinking to create a new self image. Quite often in life, however, even those who do not form an addiction, about three out of four individuals, have probably drank at one time to ease nerves and not worry so much what others think. Whether this is right or wrong per individual, it is very much a part of the Australian culture.
Advertising agencies are definitely not the last ones to realize this. Their ads are manipulative in camouflaging dangerous realities linked to alcohol consumption. Many consumers are informed that alcohol is an addictive substance, which may cause physical and emotional damage. Alcoholic products have power to alter people’s way of thinking merely by consumption. That is why advertisers work so hard in luring people to consume their product, carefully avoiding the issue that alcohol consumption could have negative consequences.
Because the alcohol advertisement from Kahlua use people’s negative, confused, or lack of, self-image to promote consumption of their addictive product, this advertisement agency is compromising their audience’s safety.
Manipulative strategy is used in the following alcohol advertisement. Negative feelings or situations are subtly presented, then shown positively remedied by consumption of alcohol. Using special pleading, advertisers strategically portray drinking only as glamorous and exciting.
They are manipulative and careless by presenting only these characteristics of alcohol consumption, purposely omitting a parallel reality.
An ad showing an alcoholic throwing up from withdrawals, confused and suicidal might possibly hinder sales. This may seem like an over-exaggerated scenario; unfortunately, it is a realistic possibility when using alcohol as a means of coping.
Take the Kahlua ad for example, this particular Advertisement features a blond model scantily dressed. The fact that she is scantily dressed, however, is not the real focus. She is wearing a bright yellow rain suit; cut mini-skirt length, connected to thigh high simulated boots, attached garter-style. Her hair is blowing back wildly with her mouth open in an excited scream, showing us that “Anything goes”. At a quick glance, she appears to be having a great time. To notice the weird details, seemingly intended for the audience, would require a longer look than just the usual few seconds an ad is typically viewed would....