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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Double-A Zone
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By Kat Krtnick
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
NCAA intern Kat Krtnick posted the following August 29 on the Double-A Zone (http://www.doubleazone.com), the official blog of the NCAA.
In a recent study conducted by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, data showed that adult binge drinkers prefer beer over liquor, while teenage binge drinkers were more likely to favor liquor over beer.
No surprise. Beer is cheaper and more accessible to adults at events, such as professional sporting events, weddings and block parties, and is a common denominator at almost all social events. On the other hand, liquor is tempting to teenagers because it produces a quicker “buzz” and is easier to hide in Nalgene bottles on the way to a party or is a perfect fit for a purse.
When I read those results in a recent Associated Press story titled “Adult Binge Drinkers Prefer Beer,” the results were the least of my concerns. Instead, it was comments from Gail DiSabatino, vice president for student affairs at Clemson University, that worried me. She claimed that the excessive advertising of beer during NCAA televised games is a contributing factor to binge drinking: “If you watch a commercial during any NCAA championship, or the big sporting events, beer is promoted heavily.”
Actually, alcoholic beverages are not heavily promoted during NCAA championships and definitely cannot be served at any round of any NCAA championship venue. For an alcoholic beverage to even be considered as a viable source for advertising material on any and all media (TV, print, radio, Internet, etc.), the NCAA adheres to strict guidelines. Only malt beverages, beer and wine products that do not exceed 6 percent alcohol by volume can be advertised, and even then, only when:
The challenge for beer companies is to fashion advertisements that fit the classy standards of the NCAA. Indeed, “cleaner” ads can pay off for advertising gurus like Budweiser and Miller. Advertisements with a sense of purity and sophistication can be aired across many different types of sporting events (college, pro, amateur) and all times of the day and weekend. Why not get the “biggest bang for your buck?”
It’s no secret that sex and violence sell. With the explicit and rather distasteful ads and television programs aired today, the NCAA should be applauded for its attempt to filter ads ran during its championships. Beer or no beer, at least you can count on the NCAA championships to be family-friendly, tasteful and still wildly entertaining.
In a recent study conducted by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, data showed that adult binge drinkers prefer beer over liquor, while teenage binge drinkers were more likely to favor liquor over beer.
No surprise. Beer is cheaper and more accessible to adults at events, such as professional sporting events, weddings and block parties, and is a common denominator at almost all social events. On the other hand, liquor is tempting to teenagers because it produces a quicker “buzz” and is easier to hide in Nalgene bottles on the way to a party or is a perfect fit for a purse.When I read those results in a recent Associated Press story titled “Adult Binge Drinkers Prefer Beer,” the results were the least of my concerns. Instead, it was comments from Gail DiSabatino, vice president for student affairs at Clemson University, that worried me. She claimed that the excessive advertising of beer during NCAA televised games is a contributing factor to binge drinking: “If you watch a commercial during any NCAA championship, or the big sporting events, beer is promoted heavily.”
Actually, alcoholic beverages are not heavily promoted during NCAA championships and definitely cannot be served at any round of any NCAA championship venue. For an alcoholic beverage to even be considered as a viable source for advertising material on any and all media (TV, print, radio, Internet, etc.), the NCAA adheres to strict guidelines. Only malt beverages, beer and wine products that do not exceed 6 percent alcohol by volume can be advertised, and even then, only when:
- Such advertisements do not compose more than 14 percent of the space devoted to advertising or not more than 60 seconds per hour of any telecast or broadcast or more than 120 seconds total in any telecast or broadcast;
- Such advertisements or advertisers incorporate “Drink Responsibly” educational messaging;
- The content of all such advertisements is free of gratuitous and overly suggestive sexual innuendo, displays of disorderly, reckless or destructive behavior and meets other criteria such as not being defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar or not including overly and demeaning portrayals of males and/or females as sexual objects.
The challenge for beer companies is to fashion advertisements that fit the classy standards of the NCAA. Indeed, “cleaner” ads can pay off for advertising gurus like Budweiser and Miller. Advertisements with a sense of purity and sophistication can be aired across many different types of sporting events (college, pro, amateur) and all times of the day and weekend. Why not get the “biggest bang for your buck?”
It’s no secret that sex and violence sell. With the explicit and rather distasteful ads and television programs aired today, the NCAA should be applauded for its attempt to filter ads ran during its championships. Beer or no beer, at least you can count on the NCAA championships to be family-friendly, tasteful and still wildly entertaining.
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