Is it just my imagination, or has the number of beer commercials on TV drastically decreased over the last decade? I recall seeing them on TV quite frequently growing up, but now I can’t recall the last time I saw one.
Same goes for candy bar commercials. In this case, perhaps they figured out that it doesn’t pay to spend 10’s of thousands of dollars on a commercial for a product priced around 50 cents each.
(Side note on beer commercials: I once heard that the actors were not allowed to actually drink the stuff on camera. Any truth?)
I’ve heard this too but can’t verify it one way or the other. I think Cecil covered this once. IIRC, there was a well-known ad writer who got around this proscription by dressing in a gorilla suit.
I haven’t noticed a huge decrease in beer commercials in general. I have watched fewer shows where beer is the sponsor (generally sporting events) so I’ve seen less, but I think I’m self-selecting. Maybe, like me, you’re just getting old!
Maybe the same thing is true of candy bar ads. I have seen less but I don’t watch many kid shows, now that my kids are older. I still see those annoying Skittles ads, though. And don’t even mention Mentos!!
I doubt that the amount of money spent on advertising beer has dropped at all in the last few years. Sporting events are almost always sponsored by a beer company. The various ESPN and Fox Sports flavors have prominent beer sponsors.
I read this once, I thought it was here but a search came up nada.
It has something to do with the liquor industry preceding government regulation.
In a sitcom, or soap, or whatever, they can picture the person drinking beer or liquor till their ripped. But an ad? forget it.
The liquor industry, IIRC, didn’t want the government in their business so they accepted a number of advertising standards on their own. One of which was not showing an ad with someone actually taking a drink.
An odd thing when you think about it, but smart when you realize they can go to the government and say, ‘Hey, we’re trying to be responsible’.