Beer and Fast Cars: How Brewers Target Blue-Collar Youth Through Motor Sport Sponsorships

• NCJ Number: 127144
• Author(s): D R Buchanan; J Lev
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 96 pages
• Sale Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report documents how brewing companies use motor sports sponsorships as a means to expand their media advertising campaigns and to target blue-collar males by depicting masculinity, risk, excitement, and beer in a "living" experience.

Abstract

Researchers reviewed trade journals and other public documents, attended 14 sports events sponsored by the beer industry in California, and interviewed over 60 high school students regarding their attendance at these events and their attitudes toward motor sports, cars, and drinking and driving. The report found that brewers are second only to tobacco producers in sponsoring events, that sports receives the greatest share of designated sponsorship dollars, and that the annual growth of sponsorship is anticipated to be triple that of advertising. At motor sports events, the sponsor exposes the audience to its particular product through multiple impressions. Some of the interviews with local youth revealed a male fascination with motor car sports and a casual attitude toward drinking and driving. 3 appendixes and 107 references