One of the first activities we did was look at some pictures. Here's the first one...
Underneath the cartoon it says "Now, kids, don't look until you're twenty-one." Huh.
Like a kid could survive elementary, middle & high school, not to mention the first few years of college without seeing a single alcohol ad.
So, what do the facts say?
Every year kids and teens see close to 20,000 commercials. Of these, approximately 2,000 are for alcoholic beverages. Add to these other forms of advertising (magazine ads, billboards, Web sites and brand-related clothing and products), signage at sporting events, sponsorship of professional and college teams and sports TV and radio programs, and most young people will have seen approximately 100,000 alcohol ads by the time they turn 18.
Point made. On to my next photo...
A "Don't Serve Alcohol to Teens" PSA next to a Bud Light billboard that says "Always Worth It."
Talk about mixed messages! How is a teen who's brain functions more on emotions and hormones rather than decision making and delay of gratification supposed to navigate such confusing messages?
The best answer. Parents need to be parents. But it is also our generation who profits from such advertising stunts like the one above.
My job? To simply point out the goal behind such advertising...$$$
So why ladies would a cute guy be holding two adorable puppies? To get your attention. And if they can get you to look at the guy or the puppies they've accomplished their mission! You took time to look at their ad and have associated "cute" with Molson.
Any guesses as to which magazine this ad was featured in? Cosmopolitan, an exclusively female magazine which targets 18-35 year old ladies.
By having the teens at Roosevelt deconstruct such ads, my hope is that they will become more critical and discerning of the ads that they see and the messages they send.
Here's the last picture I showed them...
"With so many things to do, no wonder most kids choose not to drink." We then focused on what things teens can do instead of drinking.
The teens walked away being more informed about the dangers of alcohol and the messages the media sends about drinking. Hopefully they will continue to be able to dissect the truth from the lie.
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