• February 8, 2008

In a bold move to make its alcohol education campaign a highly visible part of contemporary culture, Pernod Ricard USA is devoting a full-page ad in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue to help combat underage drinking.

The ad, which is the only one of its kind in the Feb. 12 edition, addresses parents who make excuses to justify drinking by their underage children. The ad encourages parents to accept responsibility for controlling what they know is potentially harmful behavior by their children, instead of making such excuses as: "We drank when we were that young and we turned out OK."

This edition reaches an estimated 69 million readers, with many likely to have children under age 21. Pernod Ricard USA said it is confident the message will stand out in sharp contrast among the close to 100 ads in the edition, many of which promote beer, wine and spirits products.

--Nina M. Lentini