By Jeremy Mullman
CHICAGO—An alcohol industry watchdog group is accusing Anheuser-Busch of marketing beer to underage drinkers after the brewer announced a partnership to advertise on MobiTV, a streaming TV service for mobile phones.
A-B said it is partnering with MobiTV in a deal that will allow it to advertise to the mobile TV network’s 1 million subscribers. MobiTV provides ESPN, Fox, ABC, and MSNBC TV programming to Sprint Nextel Corp., Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Alltel Corp. phones.
Eighteen ads per hour
Announcing the deal, Tim Murphy, A-B’s senior director-creative development, said the campaign will allow the No. 1 brewer to market Bud Light and Budweiser Select to 21- to 35-year-olds. The deal calls for A-B to broadcast 18 ads per hour across MobiTV’s 30 channels.
“The 21-35 year-old beer drinker is increasingly tech-savvy, seeking out the latest gadgets and technology, not just for fun, but in order to stay informed,” Murphy said.
But a spokesman for the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog, accused the brewer of attempting to skew even younger. “Anheuser-Busch profits heavily from underage drinking, so it’s no surprise they’re advertising on the ultimate teen accessory,” he said.
The Beer Institute’s marketing guidelines–which were attacked by watchdogs as too porous in a recent New York Times article—said that brewers must confine their magazines, on TV radio as to places where at least 70 percent of the audience is expected to be adults of legal drinking age.
A-B claims no wrongdoing
“We follow the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code,” said Francine Katz, vice president of communications and consumer affairs for Anheuser-Busch. “By adhering to this standard, we make it clear that we are advertising to that 70 percent of the American population who can drink our products lawfully. MobiTV reports that 82 percent of its subscribers are between the ages of 21-39.”
A MobiTV spokesman said he didn’t have specific figures, but said that most of the service’s users were between 18- and 40-years old. “We’re definitely way below [the 70-percent threshold],” he said. “We’re aware of the issues and are sensitive to it.”
According to Advertising Age’s American Demographics, 81 percent of 18- to 21-year olds have cell phones, as well as 68 percent of 16- to 17-year olds and 49 percent of 13- to 15-year olds. 13- to 17-year-old cell phone users were also far more likely to use their phones to participate in TV or radio polls, purchase ringtones, play games and send text messages than other users.
Jeremy Mullman is a reporter with AdAge, a sister publication of RCR Wireless News. Both publications are owned by Crain Communications Inc.
