ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 1996 TAG: 9606120055
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DALLAS
SOURCE: Associated Press
NOTE: Below
COMMERCIALS FOR HARD LIQUOR aren't illegal; U.S. distillers have banned them voluntarily. That's about to end.
The nearly 50-year-old voluntary prohibition on TV commercials for hard liquor is on the rocks.
Seagram has begun a monthlong series of 30-second commercials for Crown Royal whiskey on an NBC station in Corpus Christi, Texas. The ads are a first for a major U.S. liquor company since the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States created a voluntary ban in 1936 for radio and 1948 for television.
With liquor sales sagging, other distillers are sure to take a close look at the reaction to the commercials.
``We believe that distilled spirits should be able to access advertising in a responsible way on television and radio in the same manner as beer and wine,'' said Arthur Shapiro, Seagram executive vice president of marketing and strategy.
There has never been any federal law against advertising liquor.
Most members of the liquor trade group have stuck with the voluntary ban, although Allied Domecq has aired ads for Presidente brandy for five years on several Spanish-language channels across the country.
Defending Seagram's move, the spirits council said technology has blurred the lines among print, broadcast, cable and computer communications. And it said that if beer and wine makers can advertise on radio and television, why not makers of spirits?
``As a matter of fairness, our industry strongly believes that we should not be discriminated against, nor should we discriminate against ourselves,'' said Fred Meister, president and chief executive of the liquor council.
The number of cases of hard liquor sold in the United States fell from 190million in 1980 to 135million last year, according to M. Shanken Communications, a New York publisher of industry trade magazines.
In March, Seagram ran a 30-second message during an equestrian event on the Prime Sports Networks channel on cable.
Seagram turned to Texas for its ads because Crown Royal has been selling well there - more than doubling since 1980 - and KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi had already been experimenting with liquor commercials and was supportive of the idea.
KRIS owner Frank T. Smith said he tested his community's reaction to liquor advertising years ago during a Baptist convention. He asked some liquor stores to advertise brand names and prices to see whether he would get any complaints.
``I ran those ads everywhere, at all times, including during the Saturday morning kids' shows,'' he said. ``I got less than 20 calls, and most of them were not complaints but people thinking it was illegal.''
In the ad now running daily on KRIS between 9 and 10 p.m., a puppy enters carrying an obedience school diploma. A second puppy enters carrying a bottle of Crown Royal as the voice-over says, ``Valedictorian.''
No complaints have come in so far, Smith said.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, based in Irving, Texas, is waiting to see the advertising before deciding its response.
``We have not yet taken a stand that says the alcohol industry should not advertise, but we have said they should be careful in how they do it,'' said President Katherine Prescott.
Leah Brock, a spokeswoman for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, said the group is very concerned about the effect the ads will have on children.
``There has been a lot of information indicating that several animals used in beer advertising are more recognized by children,'' Brock said.
The federal Food and Drug Administration, which is pushing to regulate cigarette ads to protect young people, had no comment.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB