Alcohol Advertising Alert

Coors Targeting Youth

Coors Advertisement targeted at Generation Y: ages 10-24

Despite its own assertions that Coors "will not condone underage drinking," the third largest brewer is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising that is guaranteed to reach millions of youth. Coors Brewing is taking pains to portray itself as more responsible than other big beer producers by publishing its own advertising standards. Known as the Coors' Pledge, the company's commitment to responsible advertising and marketing sounds tough when compared to the Beer Institute's voluntary industry wide-code—especially when it comes to avoiding promotions that target underage youth. But the company's current marketing efforts tell a different story.

Coors recently launched "Get Some Summer," a series of promotional activities featured on its Web site. Users are prompted for their age, but any youth who is willing to lie can play a video game called "Slingin' the Brew." Visitors play as an animated poolside server whose job is to "ensure that no one goes thirsty." You win by getting a cold one to virtual customers who ask for a Coors Light "before they get steamed." Visitors to the site can also ask XFL cheerleaders to give them excuses for skipping work, download a "Coors Twins" screen saver, order Coors logo gear and enter contests.

The brewer is also producing its first music festival this summer, the "Coors Light Mountain Jam," featuring chart-topping rapper 50 Cent, who's known for surviving multiple gun shot wounds. Youth-oriented musical events are not new territory for beer sponsors, but Coors' choice of Alloy Marketing and Promotions (AMP) as the promoter of this event should raise a few eyebrows. AMP describes itself as "a media, direct marketing and marketing services company targeting Generation Y, the more than 60 million boys and girls in the United States between the ages of 10 and 24." AMP boasts that it has the access and experience to "reach teens throughout their day, surrounding them at home, in school, at play and while shopping."

While the Coors' Pledge may represent good intentions, a look at the placement of recent promotions on TV and radio suggests that Coors' is not even doing a better job than most other brewers in avoiding overexposure of youth. In 2001, 760 Coors commercials appeared during TV programs watched mostly by viewers too young to drink (more than half the audience was under 21)¹. The same year, radio commercials for Coors Light reached more young listeners—including African American and Hispanic youth—than eight of the other ten leading beer brands (Budweiser took first place)².

Coors' Pledge says "We will not refer to any intoxicating effect of drinking...portray or encourage drunkenness...or encourage excessive quantity of drinking." But current radio and TV spots for Coors make "guys night out" sound like an orgy of excess, urging young viewers to "rock on" and party "because we can." It might be argued that responsible advertising is in the eye of the beholder, but it is still difficult to reconcile the content of many Coors commercials with the spirit of its pledge. Perhaps in the fierce battle for market share, Coors has simply decided that if you can't beat'em, join'em.

¹ Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, "Television: Alcohol's vast adland", December 18, 2002
² Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, "Radio Daze: Alcohol ads tune in underage youth", April 2, 2003