Unmasking Diageo’s ‘Na Real’ Program in Brazil
Posted on February 10, 2025 in Diageo, Deception, ManipulationDiageo’s ‘Na Real’ program in Brazil is framed as an initiative to “educate adolescents about the risks of underage alcohol use”. However, this is a classic example of an alcohol industry-funded education program that ultimately serves corporate interests rather than public health.
The program is part of Diageo’s global ‘Smashed’ campaign, which has been heavily criticized by independent researchers. A systematic review analyzed alcohol industry-funded school-based programs and found that they systematically fail to reduce alcohol harm. Instead, these programs reinforce industry messaging by emphasizing personal responsibility, normalizing alcohol as a rite of passage, and avoiding discussions on effective population-level policies such as common-sense advertising rules, pricing measures, and availability policies. The study highlights that industry-funded education programs do not include critical perspectives on the aggressive marketing strategies that push alcohol into youth culture.
By running ‘Na Real’, Diageo is securing direct access to adolescents under the guise of education while subtly reinforcing the idea that alcohol is an inevitable part of life. This strategic positioning serves to undermine the urgency of more protective regulations on alcohol marketing and availability.
Deception is Big Alcohol’s activity to hinder and obscure public recognition of the real effects of alcohol. The focus of the DUBIOUS FIVE strategy of deception is the public’s recognition of the full extent of alcohol harm, the understanding of the risk caused by alcohol products, and the root causes of alcohol harm and their most effective alcohol policy solutions. Using deception strategies Big Alcohol seeks to fuel cognitive dissonance among the public.