Victor Mauro PAA Narrative

Do alcohol companies intentionally target youths (ages 12-20?)

                As I grew up and my addiction to television grew as well, I noticed a lot of commercials and advertising that really sparked my thirst. Not my thirst for adventure or a Capri-Sun, but the thirst for an ice cold beer. My youthful eyes would gaze upon the bright colors and the look of satisfaction on the person’s face that was drinking the frosty beverage. I also noticed that a lot of the people that were in the advertisements were famous celebrities, actors and even some athletes. I can’t forget the old guy that was drinking the Dos Equis brand beer. He claimed that he was the most interesting man in the world and that if he had to choose a beer, it would be Dos Equis. He also said all those things as he was surrounded by women that were young enough to be his daughter and gorgeous enough to be models. Being a young man with a sponge-like brain, I figured that if I drank Dos Equis that I would be amazingly interesting, my mother would get a tattoo that said “son” on her bicep, and a lot of sexy models would surround me if I drank that brand of beer.

                If you ask your mother or father what a Four Loko is, they will probably tell you that it’s equivalent to four crazy Mexicans. They are very wrong when they say that. If you ask a child between the age of 12 and 20, with no hesitation they will tell you that it used to be a 12% alcoholic beverage in a can with bright colors and a fruity taste that has the ability to get you wasted quickly. Unfortunately, those children are correct. Why do you think it is that they know what these caffeinated alcoholic drinks are and your parents don’t? It’s because the company uses bright colors and shows famous people drinking them.