• by Erik Sass , June 28, 2007

Alcohol makers devoted just 3% of their TV advertising to the theme of responsible drinking from 2001-2005. Those under the age of 21 were almost 240 times more likely to see an alcohol ad than one with a message discouraging underage drinking or noting the adverse effects of excessive alcohol consumption.

This critical demo was also 32 times more likely to see an alcohol ad than one discouraging drinking and driving.

According to a recent study from the Center of Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University, of a total 1.5 million alcohol industry spots aired between 2001-2005, only 41,333 dealt with "responsibility." They also spent proportionately less money on producing these ads.

Although such ads constituted 3% of total spots, they garnered just 2% of total spending, which clocked in at $4.9 billion. While a single percentage point might not seem like much, it means that socially responsible pitches cost, on average, 33% less to produce than regular ads.

The study contains evidence of some discouraging trends, with numbers apparently heading in the "wrong" direction. For example, while young people between the ages of 12 and 20 saw an average of 217 alcohol ads on television in 2001, that number climbed to 309 by 2005--an almost 50% jump.

And while more alcohol brands were running "responsibility"-themed ads in 2005 than any previous year, the proportion doing so remained low, with just 19 brands out of 174 total alcohol advertisers that ran the spots.