Tastes like freedom

I am interested in the advertising of beer and other alcoholic beverages, and this link has a good collection of television commercials from Japan. But more than the ads themselves, I find the slogans used to pitch alcohol, beer especially, fascinating and anthropologically revealing. The commercial below is a few years old and selling Sapporo’s Draft One beer, which actually isn’t a beer but a  happoshu, or malt liquor. Regardless, the slogan that appears at 0:19 reads “feels like drinking freedom”, REALLY!? Now, this is not freedom in the sense of patriotic love of one’s country, more like freedom from responsibility/work/deadlines/etc., but still! Drinking freedom, along with the professionally catered beach party and live band? No wonder everyone is so happy.

It seems that a paper on how allowing people to drink in commericals impacts upon viewers desire to drink is long overdue.