January 24, 2019 by Irina Gonzales. From The Temper.
The insidious tactics through 10 examples of gendered marketing of how the alcohol industry is targeting women.
For years, alcohol consumption has been on the rise for women in the U.S. for the past three decades, with women today making up 37 percent of whiskey drinkers as opposed to just 15 percent in the 1990s. Not only that, but a recent study found that high-risk drinking rose about 58 percent among women (from 2002 to 2013) and, more frighteningly, alcohol and dependence increased by 83.7 percent among women during the same time period.
Alcohol advertising specifically targeted towards women is largely problematic for those who are sober or attempting to quit alcohol. Those ads of a woman having the time of her life with a drink in her hand make vulnerable women feel as if they are missing out by not having that glass of rosé with dinner, that “smart” cocktail during a post-work happy hour or unlimited mimosas during brunch.
The story perpetuated by social media is: Drink and you will be happy.
- Fake flasks
Two controversial products are the fake flasks. One seems a tampon, the other a bracelet. The idea for the tampon is that women are ashamed of showing it and they are therefore the perfect camouflage for your secret habit: drinking alcohol. The whole point is that of having a flask (tampon) to secretly sneak alcohol. The same applies to the bracelet where you can hide alcohol to maybe drink more in a bar for less money.
- Skinnygirl bare naked vodka
Although there’s no shortage of alcohol brands that cater specifically to women, Skinnygirl deserves a special shout-out for being one of the most damaging since it is also perpetuating shitty diet culture. The name “Skinnygirl” serves as a reminder to women that not only should we feel bad about drinking too much, but we should also feel bad about those extra calories going to our hips. Even more insidiously, it says you can get as hammered as you want and remain “skinny,” as if either one of those is a good thing.
- Mad housewife mommy’s litte helper mixed pack
This pack contains “mommy juice” to not call it wine. The sponsor a product for women with a particular lifestyle: a woman who is also a mother, or better a “mad housewife” since she works hard to provide for her family. With all the domestic life it’s better to have some mommy juice in the house.
- The WineRack
For women who might wish they had more to show in the boob department, now you can drink your troubles away AND get bigger tits at the same time—by wearing a wine-filled bra.
These are some of the examples of how the alcohol industry targets one of the newest markets, women. However, it seems as if the alcohol industry knows better than women that they “deserve” pink drinks and sparky flask bracelets.
To read the full article and see all the listed examples, click on the following link: https://www.thetemper.com/10-gross-examples-of-gendered-alcohol-marketing/.