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Alcohol Ads and College Athletics Don't Mix

1/14/2017

15 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

During the recent college football season, many debated whether or not certain players should sit out of their own teams’ bowl games--I added my argument!  In retrospect, we should have talked more about what shouldn’t have participated in the College Football Playoff--Beer.    

The semifinal games and the national championship included a unique, football-themed commercial from Mexican beer maker, Dos Equis.  In the spot, the company’s new “most interesting man in the world” carves a football out of what appears to be coconut and kicks a field goal between two giraffes, serving as goal posts.  He ends the ad with a new catchphrase:  “Stay thirsty mis amigos.”

Some may be sarcastically thinking, “So, a football game features a beer commercial—you’d better call the Associated Press!”  True, we’re used to watching all sorts of sports (e.g., football, baseball, basketball) and seeing ads for alcohol.  Often those games involve professional teams.  For good reason, the NCAA places limits on alcohol advertising for collegiate sports, but beer commercials aren’t banned.
 
The NCAA allows the advertising of malt beverages, beer, and wine provided that they “do not exceed six percent alcohol by volume,” and provided that the commercials:
  • Comprise no more than 60 seconds per hour of NCAA championship programming
  • Include the tag “Drink Responsibly”
  • Contain content deemed “respectful”

Dos Equis has 4.6% alcohol content, it’s commercial includes the “drink responsibly” disclaimer, and the ad isn't lewd or overtly disrespectful.  So, it looks like the NCAA has abided by its own policy.  At least it seems that way until one digs deeper into the Promotional Guidelines.

Although the ads conform to the letter of the law for alcohol, they really play against the overarching spirit of the policy, particularly in light of the reality of alcohol use on college and university campuses.  Consider, for instance, these other important parts of the NCAA Promotional Guidelines:
  • Ads are to be excluded that “do not appear to be in the best interest of higher education and student-athletes.”
  • The ads should support, among other things, “physical fitness, student-athlete health and safety, . . . student-athlete welfare.”
  • The ads should not “cause harm to student-athlete health, safety and welfare.”

Alcohol abuse is an epidemic in much of higher education.  Almost 60% of college students drink, many underage, and about 20% of college students exhibit behavior indicative of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).  Furthermore, two-thirds of those who drink engage in binge drinking, a pattern of rapid alcohol consumption that elevates blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to dangerously high levels, the kind associated with alcohol poisoning: “a serious — and sometimes deadly — consequence of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time.  The Mayo Clinic adds that “Drinking too much too quickly can affect your breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex and potentially lead to a coma and death.”
 
What’s more, the consequences of alcohol abuse are not just physical.  “About 1 in 4 college students report academic consequences from drinking, including missing class, falling behind in class, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.”  In other words, alcohol abuse can be a major obstacle to academic success and jeopardize a student’s future career.

It’s also extremely unfortunate that alcohol abusers tend to hurt others as well as themselves.  “About 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.”  In addition, “about 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.”  Of course, there’s also the great risk of drunk driving accidents, miscellaneous injury, and vandalism—Remember what Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte did at a gas station in Rio while intoxicated?
 
Now, consider again the NCAA’s Promotional Guidelines and ask whether alcohol ads aired during collegiate sporting events are “in best interest of higher education and student-athletes,” “support physical fitness, student-athlete health and safety, . . . student-athlete welfare,” and do not “cause harm to student-athlete health, safety and welfare.”  It’s hard to answer “yes” to any of these questions, let alone to all of them. 
 
Given the pervasiveness of alcohol on many college campuses, its high levels of abuse among students, and the tragic consequences that abuse carries for the user and others, it’s stunning that the NCAA allows any alcohol advertising during its games.  It’s even more mind-boggling that the College Football Playoff went a step further and enlisted Dos Equis as “The Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff,” a paradoxical distinction that further propagates the false compatibility of beer and books, drunkenness and diligence, wasted-ness and wellness.

Their partnership for the College Football Playoffs has likely profited both the NCAA and Dos Equis.  Many others, however, come out on the losing end, particularly college students, who don’t need any more encouragement to engage in unhealthy and destructive alcohol-related behavior.  There’s no such thing as drinking “responsibly” for those underage or otherwise caught in the grip of “the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States.” Mixing beer with any college sport is a contemptible case of “Single-Minded Marketing.”
 
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15 Comments
Zach Smith
1/24/2017 12:17:37 am

I have been watching college since I have been watching TV and have frankly never thought twice about the content of the advertisements. It has always been pounded in my head that alcohol is bad for you so don’t drink it, regardless of what the advertisements say. With that in mind, I normally find those types of advertisements humorous. The blog post does bring up some very good statistical data regarding the dangers of alcohol. It makes another very good point in saying that the majority of individuals who make unwise decisions with alcohol are either underage or exactly the legal limit.
I agree with the analysis of single-minded marketing. The revenues generated through sponsoring events such as the College Football Playoffs are astronomical as College Football increases in popularity. The unethical aspect of it though is too glaring to ignore, especially when some of the college athletes who play in these alcohol-sponsored games end up making headlines for doing things they shouldn’t have while being under the influence.

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Adam Sylvester
1/24/2017 11:15:55 am

I agree that alcohol shouldn't not be in any part of any association that promotes learning and growth because beer does very much the opposite. However all those stats listed in the article I think are more linked to outside factors and the cultural view on alcohol, not so much on the ads that play during college football. Most of the ads I find to be humorous, and although I do not drink none of them have ever given me a strong desire to do so, so I think its not really what you see on TV that makes you drink but rather who you see drinking that makes you want to do the same.
However their are certain times alcohol ads can be very unethical when they are promoting fitness or athletic ability, just as the one mentioned in the article did. It humorously displayed a rugged, strong looking man kicking a coconut for a field goal and said he, "played college football... in high school." The people who made the ads are trying to specifically appeal to athletes and young people, including college and high school students who are not even of legal age yet. I really think they get a way with this message because they use humor and no one thinks their trying to be serious, but the message their sending is very serious. If a beer company wants to put out and ad promoting their product responsibly then fine, but if their promoting high school and college drinking, whether they intended to or not, then that is an extreme example of very mindless behavior.

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Rachel Hafner
1/25/2017 01:01:07 am

I would agree with the conclusion of single-minded marketing. I understand from the company's perspective, sponsoring the event would be a wise business choice. They are reaching their target audiences perfectly. Partying college students will be watching, as well as other men and sports fans who are likely to be drinking while they watch games. However, over all, the idea of a beer company sponsoring and being such a big part in a college game does not send the best message. It encourages behaviors that should not be encouraged. Beer should not be associated with college, students, or athletes. Though it might be smart business from the company's eyes, this does not send a good message to the public's eye.

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Rachael Kelley
1/25/2017 09:27:08 am

One thing that I believe goes hand in hand with this article is to certainly mention the fact that I think more often then not people forget that college athletics aren't professional. With that in mind, despite the guidelines mentioned I believe a lot of the commercials are still geared towards those who are of the drinking age.
However, not to discredit what Dr. Hagenbuch said in his article, I definitely think that alcoholism has become a huge epidemic surrounding college students, and highly agree that it is single-minded. There's a lot to be said about college drinking and I'm almost certain that a large population are becoming more and more aware and yet nothing seems to be being done about the situation. Personally, I think that alcohol commercials have a time and place and sponsoring a college isn't the place.

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Hunter Brindle
1/25/2017 11:04:03 am

When I began reading this article, I did not see anything wrong with beer commercials during college football games. Its not like any of the players see the commercials while they play. Also, the audience watching the games are the same as those who watch NFL games, and no one complains about those beer ads being wrong. After reading the guidelines, though, laid out by the NCAA, it is very clear that these ads violate their regulations when it comes to advertising. While I don't feel these self imposed regulations are necessary for the NCAA, I believe they are very commendable and ethical. But if you are going to create such guidelines, you must then abide by them, which they have clearly not done by showing these alcohol ads. The NCAA overall must do a better job of following the regulations they have put in place.

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Igor Puglia
3/26/2017 02:07:13 pm

I believe that sports and drinking are related. Sports are nothing more than entertainment for those who are not athletes, Therefore, I think that is always fun to get your friends together to watch a game while drinking a beer. Even though it may seem unethical advertise beer at a college game, I believe that since it isn't illegal the companies should take advantage of that because the audience for college football is huge. According to researches, it is the secong most famous sport in Amercia. Therefore, it is a huge way for publicity for companies. On the other hand, I believe that it is duty of the authorities to regulate the drinking on college campuses.

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