Did hard liquor sales diminish when their ads were banned from TV? I have heard that there are similar efforts to ban beer commercials (what would the Superbowl be without Bud commercials?)
IIRC hard liquor ads were effectively banned from TV (and radio)in the U.S. until the late 1980s, so there’s no baseline to judge a decline.
I suppose the bigger question would be how have liquor sales increased re: advertising expenditures since liquor advertising has been allowed on TV.
IIRC, hard liquor ads were not banned, it was a voluntary thing. I don’t remember where I read that, though. Anyone else know about that?
yes, it’s voluntary. liquor ads started running on NBC (during SNL) about six months ago, without any change in legislation. Bacardi, maybe?
jb
The ban started in 1948 (by the liquor companies, not the networks); I doubt there was any significant effect on liquor habits at that time.
There’s no question that a government effort to ban beer ads would face a serious First Amendment problem these days.
Well what’s considered hard liquor? I see liquor commercials on TV all the time.
Hard liquor is distilled spirits – pretty much anything other than beer or wine, really. “Malt beverages” with hard liquor tie-ins don’t count, either, as there’s no actual liquor in these (your various Smirnoff Ices, your Bacardi Silvers, and so on).