We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.
Do alcohol advertisements for brands popular among underage drinkers have greater appeal among youth and young adults?
Michael Siegel , William DeJong , Daryl Cioffi , Lucero Leon-Chi , Timothy S. Naimi , Alisa A. Padon , David H. Jernigan , Ziming Xuan
Substance Abuse
Vol. 37, Iss. 1, 2016
This study is the first to compare the extent of youth appeal of alcohol advertisements for brands popular among underage drinkers vs. brands unpopular among underage drinkers. We found that the advertisements for more popular brands were significantly more likely to be perceived as appealing to youth. This research is important for two reasons. First, it informs the debate about whether alcohol companies are targeting youth with their advertising. If youth-oriented brands are more likely to contain youth-oriented content, this could be an indication that the companies are preferentially trying to reach underage youth. Second, the research may help shed light on the debate about whether alcohol advertising is effective in influencing youth drinking behavior. If brands whose alcohol ads appeal more heavily to youth turn out to be the same brands that are popular among youth, this could be an indication that the advertising is influencing youth brand choices.
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