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16 April 2012

Alcohol Brand Placement in Movies Perceived as Supporting Drinking Behaviors

Keywords: alcohol, brands, survey, brand placement,

Young adults believe that alcohol brands shown in movies have a stronger impact on others than on themselves, according to a study published in the journal Television and New Media. They also think brand placement has a stronger effect on other people’s drinking attitudes and behavior than on their alcohol brand preference. They believe that more regulation is needed. 

Take aways

  • When placing alcohol brands in movies, alcohol companies should keep in mind that this can be perceived by their target audience as supporting drinking among others. 
  • Many young adults think other people need to be protected from being influenced by alcohol brand placement. To address these concerns, alcohol companies could consider announcing product placement before exposure to the product. 

Study information

  • The question?

    How do young adults perceive alcohol brand placement in movies?

  • Who?

    280 18- to 24-year-olds (average age: 21; 49% girls, 51% boys).

  • Where?

    Korea, Southeast

  • How?

    The participants watched ten video fragments from real movies targeted at youth audiences. In each video fragment a different alcohol brand was shown. After watching for ten minutes, they had to fill out a survey with questions about alcohol brand placement and alcohol use. 

Facts and findings

  • The young adults believed that alcohol brands shown in movies had a stronger impact on others than on themselves. 
  • This was particularly true for those who perceived being influenced by alcohol brands in movies as an undesirable thing. 
  • They believed brand placement had a stronger effect on other people’s drinking attitudes and behavior than on their alcohol brand preference.
  • The more young adults thought that alcohol products shown in movies had more negative effects on others than on themselves, the more they felt regulation for alcohol placement was needed.