By MICHAEL DOYLE BEE WASHINGTON BUREAU
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/9616192p-10501472c.html
Last Updated: December 17, 2004, 04:25:23 AM PST
(Images added by Frank Baker, media educator)
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are surfing the Web and trolling the airwaves
in a more aggressive search for "improper" alcohol advertising.
For California wineries, the aggressive enforcement could mean more second-guessing
of ad campaigns. One wine industry advocate likened it to Uncle Sam's stationing a
black-and-white police cruiser on the information superhighway, warning people to slow down.
"They are throwing out a pretty wide net," Wine Institute attorney Wendell Lee said,
citing the new campaign by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
This worries some winemakers, even though they say advertising issues may be more
prevalent with beer or distilled spirits than with wine.
"I certainly hope I'm not one of those chosen to be scrutinized," said Brian Fitzpatrick,
owner of the El Dorado County-based Fitzpatrick Winery. "Not that we have anything to
hide, but just because of the time involved."
A recent encounter with federal officials showed Fitzpatrick what government marketing
oversight can mean.
For years, he included a Celtic fairy tale on his King's Red premium table wines. This year,
though, he said the government directed him to remove the phrase "the land of Zin" from
the yarn, because he was not specifying the percentage of zinfandel in his wine. Now,
it refers simply to the "land of Z."
Sex sells, and it's selling booze
Certainly, from television to the frontiers of the Internet, alcohol advertising has been
taking off in some eye-catching ways.
The labels and Web site for Cleavage Creek Cellars of California features an abundantly
bosomed woman and the reminder that some proceeds benefit breast cancer research.
A Doc Otis Hard Lemon Beverage ad in Maxim magazine shows a kneeling woman in a
thong bikini that peeks out from her jeans. Ads for Three Olives Vodka show scantily clad
women posing inside giant martini glasses.
Until now, federal regulators emphasized voluntary monitoring, with producers "invited" to
submit ads for review. Now, regulators are adopting what they call a "more proactive approach,"
as they search for everything from false health claims and juvenile appeals to "subliminal
representations that are obscene or indecent."
Selected wineries, distillers and brewers will now be told to provide a wealth of promotional
information. This could include posters, press releases, Web sites, magazine ads, and television
and radio advertisements.
Regulators say they will target selected producers, for selected products, based on complaints
and the government's own research. Other producers will be selected at random for review.
The aggressive federal oversight comes as alcohol advertising itself soars on many fronts.
The number of alcohol ads on television increased to a record 298,054 last year, according to a
tally by Georgetown University's Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. The count was 209,909 in 2001.
Three out of four alcohol ads are for beer and ale, the study notes, while wine ads account for
barely 5 percent of the total.
An earlier study by the center found wine advertisers taking a more sober approach on the Internet.
In a spot check of alcohol industry Web sites last year, the center found three out of four beer Web
sites included interactive games like putt-putt golf or shooting at aliens. By contrast, only one out of
28 wine Web sites reviewed included games.