brandflakesforbreakfast: if 40 is the new 30, then is anheuser busch really marketing to teens?

Saturday, May 12, 2007

if 40 is the new 30, then is anheuser busch really marketing to teens?

As a society, we're' hanging on to our youth like never before. I know a few 40 year-olds who feel like they're 30. And 30 year-olds who still feel 20. And so on. So where are the new marketing and branding lines to be drawn?

There's a lot of hoopla from lawmakers across the nation about Anheuser Busch and other marketers producing youthful products.

With the vibrancy of youth comes new tastes and opinions about what's pleasurable. Just because older generations declared that wine is the only suitable drink for adults, doesn't mean that some of us can't enjoy RedBull and Vodka. Times have changed, and tastes have followed.

I believe that AB understands the market much more than they're given credit for. Yes, their new beverages look youthful. Look fun. Look tasty and sweet. But does that really mean they're marketing to teens?

I would like to believe in my heart that alcohol companies aren't sitting in dark rooms trying to be evil. Or intentionally marketing alcohol to minors. I believe they're reacting to what their audiences are telling them. We don't want to get old. We like new products. We use the internet. We enjoy the energy of our youth.

I enjoy drinking occasionally. Responsibly. And I don't like fine wine. I like beer less than I used to. I like that brands are looking for new things for me to consume. I crave new things. And I'm not a teenager.

If lawmakers were genuinely concerned about under-age drinking, they'd properly staff their liquor control commissions. Most states have a only a couple of employees to monitor all of the bars or liquor stores that potentially serve minors. And bureaucracy makes any action nearly impossible. Wouldn't it be more effective to actually solve that problem? But I guess that doesn't look as sensational, on the local news. So let's go after the marketers. I'm gonna go have another Raw Tea.

Labels: adindustry, beverage, politics, yummyfood

posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:30 PM 1 comments

1 Comments:

At 11:37 AM, KFad said...: There's a commercial for some wrinkle-reducing skin cream that actually says, "40 is the new 20."

Yeah, if you're into Cougar hunting.