Ambev, owned by AB InBev, is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Festa do Peão de Barretos with a new country song about “moderation” and hydration. The track Chama no Equilíbrio, presented as an innovation from Ambev’s so-called Smart Drinking Lab, is the latest example of the alcohol industry’s favorite diversion: the “drink responsibly” slogan.
This messaging shifts the blame for alcohol harm onto individuals while protecting the industry from evidence-based policies. Research show that vague slogans about moderation are meaningless – 87 percent of ads reviewed in a Johns Hopkins study carried such taglines, yet none defined what moderation means or warned about cancer, violence, or impaired driving. The purpose is not to inform, but to shield Ambev from criticism and boost its brand.
The real solutions to Brazil’s alcohol burden are well known: more ambitious alcohol taxes and common-sense limitations on alcohol availability, advertising and sponsorship.
Manipulation is Big Alcohol’s activity to control its image. The alcohol industry engages in manipulation activities to protect and cultivate their image and the values of their brands. Deploying manipulation strategies serves for Big Alcohol to appear as “good corporate citizens”. The focus of the Dubious Five strategy of manipulation is the alcohol company, their brands and value. Examples are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), green-washing, pink-washing, rainbow-washing, or white-washing activities.