GLOB 1100 Essay 3: Advertising and Responsibility

Advertising and Responsibility
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Advertising and Responsibility
Introduction
According to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (2016), the promotion and the subsequent advertisements of alcohol and its consumption should be controlled to protect the youths from the menace of drug addiction and the negative consequences that come with its consumption. Many young generations globally have been affected by drug abuse. Lives have been lost through accidents and ill-health. Other social evils like early pregnancies, theft, truancy and increased crime rates have been escalated by drugs thus exposing a breakdown in the social and cultural norms of the society. Advertisement of alcohol and its products is a case of the cultural and social problem addressed herein. Alcohol ads increase consumption among the underage children while increasing the loyalty and market share of the ad company. Even though there are legislation and restrictions from the regulators and health organizations, advertisements have indeed broken the cultural and moral fabric of the society from the advertisements which sadly, are tolerated by the state. However, it is equally important to note the significance of parenting and family values in the conundrum.
According to an advertisement by Guinness Kenya, and alcoholic Beer drink developed by the East African Breweries, the advertisement is stating that such an advert should not be shared to persons under the age of 18 years. In addition, the advert states that excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to consumers` health. However, it is imperative to note that within the advertisement video circulated in social media like Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and their Website, there is no picture of a harmful incidence of the effects of alcohol. Instead, the advertisements show how people come together, happy and enjoy quality time together while watching football games. The advert also uses pictures of healthy people in their youthful ages sharing fun, joy, and happiness. The ad uses the videos of young people who could be indeed eighteen years of age but it is difficult to verify. The age difference can thus be assumed to be sixteen or seventeen. The under eighteen-year-olds can also resonate well with their peers who could just be a few years older than them.
The advert by Guinness shows clearly the entrenchment of impunity by the companies supported by weak laws to corrupt the social and cultural fabric of the society. The fact that the advertisement states that it should not be shared to under 18 years attracts the same age brackets to view the contents of such advertisements. The fact that it is stated in the advertisements that it should not be sold to persons under the age bracket doesn’t comply that if it is bought by over eighteen years then under 18 years cannot consume it. Mentioning the age bracket in itself is also targeting the young population. (Kariuki, 2018). It is ironical in the advertisement that it talks about harmful health while it doesn’t show an affected person, of a cancer victim after consuming alcohol. According to DiSalvo 2016, advertisements in social media encourages drinking. DiSal...