Parody of tough guys
Alcopops und ihre Kampagnen geraten in den USA unter harte Kritik
Alcopops and their campaigns come under harsh criticism in the USABy Thérèse Balduzzi Alcopops or malternatives are flooding the American market. The slightly alcoholic fruit juices are as popular as they are controversial: critics accuse the manufacturers of tempting young people to drink with harmless-looking sodas. In the midst of this debate, Mike's Hard Lemonade resorts to an extreme advertising campaign.
The American campaign for the alcoholic fruit drink Mike's Hard Lemonade is full of slapstick humor of the crudest kind: In one commercial, a construction worker falls 20 stories and is pierced by a steel girder, then walks into a bar as if (almost) nothing had just happened. The only sign that he is slightly damaged: his buddy opens the bottle of Hard Lemonade for him. In another spot, a lumberjack accidentally saws off his feet. His only complaint concerns the new boots his wife bought him the day before. Another accident candidate has his hand bitten off while trying to feed a dolphin. He also survives the injury without comment and lets nothing stop him from drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade. "A hard day calls for a hard lemonade. Make it Mike's" says a voiceover at the end of each commercial.
Critics see alcopops as a gateway drug
With the grotesque scenes, the commercials by Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York, humorously allude to the "tough" side of Hard Lemonade and parody the "tough guy" image of men who can't be knocked down by anything and only get drunk once in a while. As primitive as they may be, they stand out sympathetically from numerous beer commercials and campaigns that currently celebrate masculinity myths and misogyny to the point of weariness.
Extreme spots are probably also necessary to achieve the desired effect: Alcopops or malternatives - including brands such as Rick's Spike Lemonade, Hooper's Hooch Lemon Brew and Doc Otis' Hard Lemon - are subject to stricter advertising restrictions than conventional beers, even though they contain the same amount of alcohol, namely around 5 percent. However, critics of alcoholic lemonades fear that their harmless appearance and sweet taste will tempt young people to consume illegal alcohol.
Last year, the National Consumers League, Washington, complained to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about alcopops. Their sweet taste makes it easier for young people to drink large quantities of alcohol in a short space of time, making them an ideal gateway drink.
This year, the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest complained to the FTC because manufacturers were marketing their products specifically to young people. Campaigns for alcopops are therefore being closely monitored from all sides.
The American campaign for the alcoholic fruit drink Mike's Hard Lemonade is full of slapstick humor of the crudest kind: In one commercial, a construction worker falls 20 stories and is pierced by a steel girder, then walks into a bar as if (almost) nothing had just happened. The only sign that he is slightly damaged: his buddy opens the bottle of Hard Lemonade for him. In another spot, a lumberjack accidentally saws off his feet. His only complaint concerns the new boots his wife bought him the day before. Another accident candidate has his hand bitten off while trying to feed a dolphin. He also survives the injury without comment and lets nothing stop him from drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade. "A hard day calls for a hard lemonade. Make it Mike's" says a voiceover at the end of each commercial.
Critics see alcopops as a gateway drug
With the grotesque scenes, the commercials by Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York, humorously allude to the "tough" side of Hard Lemonade and parody the "tough guy" image of men who can't be knocked down by anything and only get drunk once in a while. As primitive as they may be, they stand out sympathetically from numerous beer commercials and campaigns that currently celebrate masculinity myths and misogyny to the point of weariness.
Extreme spots are probably also necessary to achieve the desired effect: Alcopops or malternatives - including brands such as Rick's Spike Lemonade, Hooper's Hooch Lemon Brew and Doc Otis' Hard Lemon - are subject to stricter advertising restrictions than conventional beers, even though they contain the same amount of alcohol, namely around 5 percent. However, critics of alcoholic lemonades fear that their harmless appearance and sweet taste will tempt young people to consume illegal alcohol.
Last year, the National Consumers League, Washington, complained to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about alcopops. Their sweet taste makes it easier for young people to drink large quantities of alcohol in a short space of time, making them an ideal gateway drink.
This year, the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest complained to the FTC because manufacturers were marketing their products specifically to young people. Campaigns for alcopops are therefore being closely monitored from all sides.
