As a matter of fact, I’ve got it now’: alcohol advertising and sport
Sport and alcohol advertising go hand in hand but once, so did tobacco ads and sport. It’s time to bring this to an end says Kerry O’Brien in a piece that first appeared on The Conversation.
Sport is generally a healthy activity that transmits important societal values, such as fairness, perseverance and teamwork. Unfortunately, it’s also the primary vehicle for marketing alcohol to the general population.
At its best, sport can provide participants and fans with a sense of identity, pride and self-esteem. But a visitor to Australian shores would be forgiven for thinking that sport is a subsidiary of the alcohol, fast food and gambling industries.
Indeed, the majority of alcohol advertising and sponsorship – both in terms of frequency and time of advertising, as well as alcohol marketing expenditure – occurs in and around sport. In 2009, two of the world’s largest alcohol producers, Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, spent approximately $350m and $212m respectively on television advertising during US sporting events alone. We are unable to obtain figures for Australia.
An interesting article and proposition.
It could be improved by the inclusion of sources for some of the research claims.
“Sport is generally a healthy activity that transmits important societal values, such as fairness, perseverance and teamwork. Unfortunately, it’s also the primary vehicle for marketing alcohol to the general population.”
You are getting playing sport & watching sport confused.
@Anonymous not true at all. The association is there whether playing or watching. Kids who play a particular sport are more likely to watch it, and even if they don’t they can’t help but see their heroes displaying alcohol brand labels. And, in too many cases try and emulate them on and off the field.
” … a visitor to Australian shores would be forgiven for thinking that sport is a subsidiary of the alcohol, fast food and gambling industries. … Indeed, the majority of alcohol advertising and sponsorship – both in terms of frequency and time of advertising, as well as alcohol marketing expenditure – occurs in and around sport. In 2009, two of the world’s largest alcohol producers, Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, spent approximately $350m and $212m respectively on television advertising during US sporting events alone. We are unable to obtain figures for Australia.”
Then why would “visitors to Australian shores” be forgiven blah blah blah when the quoted figure is from the US? A non sequitur worthy of the most disingenuous academic argument and an insult to the reader.
The nanny state sails on with all the grace of the Queen Mary 2, unperturbed by trifles such as rational argument. Might as well get the Australian Carrot Growers’ Association to blanket sponsor all Australian sport and presumably we’d all be sitting around eating carrots day and night. Pass the avocado dip.
Heineken has been a long sponsor of Rugby, notably the annual Heineken Cup (6-nations) in Europe involving France and played in France. Also notably the Rugby World Cup held in France in 2007 and elsewhere before and since.
It’s also the false conflation of “in sport” to “in the community at large” that is the glaring fallacy here. Along with a lack of cited causality in any of the assertions, especially the oft-claimed mesmer effect of advertising. Have a look at Saffer H., Journal of health Economics, 1991 ; 10 ; p.65-79 amongst others to understand this.
Dr O’Brien seems woefully unfamiliar with the demonstrable causal benefits of the “Loi Evin.” Nor the inverse effects of prohibition.
Nor, conveniently, does he feel it necessary to cite any source for his claims, which whiff of fallacies.
Studies more convincingly show that it is the parents and the home environment that influence the child’s later choice – http://tiny.cc/uu9dtw
Dr O’Brien – if you only believe that advertising is an influence on behaviour, then of course, you’ll only find that advertising influences behaviour. Saying that “Norway and Turkey did it, so we should” marks you out as a weak thinker.
I look forward to your sources to your rambling above and your longitudinal multi-variate study to actually make a supportable claim.
Sure, it’s there. For the bulk of adults watching AFL/NRL/V8SC/cricket/etc (“big sport”), however, it’s the tribalism/nationalism, ego & desire to smash the opposition that dominates (over the warm & fuzzy societal values). It’s part of the social fabric of just about every country in the world, and alcohol fits nicely into the equation (mostly without issue).
I think alcohol & watching sport go hand in hand, and it’s the parents role to prevent their child from trying to emulate David Boon when they’re 13 years old.
Unfortunately, it’s an easy sell because in Australia bogans love their sport and they love their booze. These things go hand-in-hand. They drink while watching sport. It truly is ridiculous that advertisers get a free run of advertising alcohol to children because of sport. Let’s hope some tighter restrictions are put into place.
Bem – ‘Bogans love their sport’. I am pretty sure the vast majority of male Australians love sport – and that same majority don’t mind a beer. Are we ALL ‘bogans’? No. So why even throw the word ‘bogan’ in there. Makes you sound ridiculous.
@Bustin Jeibers- I’m the one who sounds ridiculous? You’re the one with the name Bustin Jeibers. I stand by what I said. I never once said ALL people who watch sport are bogans. I said bogans like sport and booze. Huge difference. The majority of alcohol advertising is appealing to the bogan demographic. And the majaority of alcohol advertising is during sport. Thus, why it’s an easy sell.
I am not a drinker at all, but I once felt an overwhelming desire to take a drink of beer when outdoors on a Oz Road-Trip in a ute with no air-con. Australia has the climate for outdoor drinking. Sport is a complete irrelevance here. Put several people (not necessarily bogan) outdoors at ANY event and a cool-box will be included in the mix. This is to do with thirst primarily. When asked to imagine a group of downunder drinkers . . it is never made up of sports-people in my minds eye.
I think Dr O’Brien is to be commended and not to be confused with 4 Corners.
This is the next big thing – the problem will be communicating it to the non-converted.
In fact, that’s why I’m trying to garner support for my philanthropic Cause Related Marketing campaign “DRINKING IS NOT A SPORT”…
Any takers?
*Great article Mummy
No, it’s a pastime.