Project 12: Alcohol and advertising


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This project examines how advertising is used to sell alcohol. You can look at adverts in newspapers, magazines, television, and also at the way alcohol is represented in films, videos and DVDs.

First decide which media you are going to focus on. You could choose:

  • Newspapers and magazines - collect local and national newspapers, Sunday colour magazines and young people's magazines and cut out all the adverts which are about alcohol.
  • Television - watch (and possibly video) adverts that mention or show alcohol.
  • Film/video/DVD - choose a few films which focus on alcohol or show people drinking alcohol.

Then analyse what is being said and what are the techniques used to sell. For example:

  • Who is shown as drinking and how are they portrayed?
  • What is said about the reasons why people drink?
  • What are the advertisers trying to do?
  • What don't they tell you about alcohol?
  • Why don't they tell you?

Now that you have looked at a number of adverts on alcohol and you have analysed their selling techniques you could identify:

  • The key selling points of the advert
  • The facts that are hidden
  • The influence the advert has

Resources

 Here are a selection of websites that may help with your project. Please remember that DrugScope/D-World cannot be held responsible for the content of other sites.

Advertising Alcohol Alcohol Concern Factsheet (PDF 156Kb)


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