ABSTRACT
Liquor ads flourished in the pre-60s culture of self-restraint, said Adweek, and the impact of televised liquor ads "could well be salutary." Adweek's odd commentary contains a germ of truth—one genre of liquor and beer advertising does indeed stress authority, hard work, and sons following the lead of fathers. Many scotch ads are filled with dogs, castles, and other emblems of tradition, the central message being "We know Scotch tastes like iodine, but your dad drank it and you should too." The ad industry is very good at generating commercials that break down restraint and promote impulse. It's also important to know that the legal drug business (tobacco and alcohol) accumulates a lot of private psychological research, the better to know which of our buttons to push. The generic stuff appears in marketing magazines, but the really potent findings, which result in all those manipulative and coded ads, aren't made public.
