Russian Law Bans Beer Advertisements

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Can you imagine a Super Bowl broadcast without beer commercials? In Russia, beer ads were recently banned from television altogether as a means of fighting alcohol abuse.

According to Ad Age Global, President Dmitry Medvedev has taken a strong stance on alcohol. His law is aimed at lowering yearly alcohol intake per person, "from 18 liters to five to eight liters by 2020." The article states that according to a medical journal, The Lancet, in Russia, "more than half of all deaths of people aged 15 to 54 are caused by alcohol."

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Although the law is aimed at cutting alcohol consumption, some advertisers are convinced that these types of bans are not effective. Stephan Loerke, managing director of the World Federation of Advertisers, used France as an example. He explained that a ban on booze ads, which was implemented there in 1991, was found to be "ineffective" in preventing high-risk drinking, as stated in a 1999 government report.

The Russian law will reclassify beer from its old label as a "foodstuff." This previous classification provided leeway for beer companies to advertise — other spirits lost television advertisement rights years ago. In addition to a crackdown on advertising, beginning in 2013, selling beer will be prohibited in public places such as bus stops and airports.

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So who will be most affected by the beer advertising ban? Possibly the beer companies themselves. In the article, Euromoniter Russian analyst Vladislav Savinov said that the advertising itself does not lead to higher rates of beer drinking in Russia, but it fosters loyalty to a specific brand of beer. While they wait for the law to be implemented in July, beer companies are rushing to get their last brand-loyalty ads on television before the ban goes into effect. They are also preparing for the future with alternate methods of advertising, such as digital advertising, which is still legal.

Some speculate that the ban will give the more prominent beer companies a distinct advantage over newer beers that didn't have the ability to foster brand awareness on television. Another prediction is that the ban will ultimately lead to an increase in utilizing social media to advertise beer.

Do you think banning alcohol advertisements is an effective way to get people to drink less?

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