How to shoot alcohol brand advertisements?

Recently, Budweiser beer became a hot topic because it was fined for a drinking advertisement.

Related topics on Weibo

Here's what happened: In May, Budweiser China released a long graphic advertisement titled "Spring Outing, It's Time to Clink Glasses" which contained drinking actions, which violated relevant provisions of the "Advertising Law of the People's Republic of China" and constituted an illegal act of publishing prohibited content in alcohol advertisements . The company was fined 250,000 yuan by the Shanghai Jing'an District Market Supervision Administration.

Budweiser administrative penalty record

After the incident was exposed, it caused a huge uproar on social platforms such as Weibo, and many netizens refuted: Isn't banning alcohol advertisements like not having garbage in the trash can or books on the desk? Outrageous.

Even without the clinking of glasses, everyone knows it is wine. I don't understand.

Is it not possible to clink glasses?

Weibo Comments Section

However, some netizens said they had "learned something new" after learning about the relevant advertising laws and expressed their understanding of the fines.

In fact, if we look at the title carefully, we will find that this hot search has largely directed people's attention to "clinking glasses", while ignoring that "drinking" is the real reason why Budweiser was fined.

It is understood that the advertisement released by Budweiser contains the action of drinking after clinking glasses at the end, but the Advertising Law clearly stipulates that alcohol advertisements shall not contain the action of drinking. This violates the advertising regulations and touches the red line of the law.

Regarding netizens' doubts, TOP Jun feels that this regulation is actually reasonable in many aspects. Advertisements themselves have the function of spreading awareness . Once they are published, they have the effect of inducing and instigating . This is especially true for products like tobacco and alcohol, as excessive consumption can be harmful to the body. Once drinking actions appear frequently in alcohol advertisements, it will undoubtedly give consumers a psychological hint, stimulating more consumers and even minors to buy and drink. Therefore, strengthening the control of such advertisements is actually protecting consumers' health invisibly .

So, since alcohol advertisements are prohibited from showing drinking scenes, how do various alcohol brands shoot their commercials? Today, TOP will take stock of those creative wine advertisements for you.

After some searching, TOP found that there are still obvious differences in advertising style and tone between traditional liquor brands and new generation brands. Let’s first take a look at the aspects of traditional liquor brand advertising.

01Traditional wine brands: majestic and heavy as the background, highlighting history and quality

Tell good product stories and enrich brand connotation

Jinliufu A Jar of Good Wine Feature Film

This advertisement of Jinliufu introduces the birth of the new product "A Jar of Good Wine" from the perspective of the brand's British chairman Leo, and invites winemakers born in the 1990s to talk about the process of raw material selection and craftsmanship to showcase the excellent quality of the product. “The most attentive quality, the most sincere price, shared with the most sincere people.” By telling the product story, the brand conveys the concept of sincerity first.

Luzhou Laojiao×Esquire×Cui Jian《The Way of Ice and Fire》

Luzhou Laojiao is unique. On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the birth of Chinese rock, it took the opportunity of the release of a new song by Cui Jian, the "Godfather of Chinese Rock", to tell the story of the collision of ice and fire between rationality and sensibility in his creative process. Just like Guojiao 1573, in the fusion of ice and fire, it can also allow consumers to feel the new world. This short film seems to be about music, but it is actually about wine. The combination of the two shows infinite charm in metaphor.

Take advantage of the festival to create a festive atmosphere

When it comes to conveying emotions through scenery , Luzhou Laojiao can be said to be an expert at it.

Luzhou Laojiao "Cheers to a Brighter Moon" Advertising Film

Luzhou Laojiao "Go Home for the New Year" Advertising Film

It is a long-standing Chinese custom to have a bottle of good wine during festivals and it is also a way for family members to express their true feelings to each other and liven up the atmosphere. Luzhou Laojiao launched two commercials during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival. By showing families from all over the country reuniting, celebrating, and having fun, it set off a festive atmosphere. It not only demonstrated the brand's role in deepening emotional bonds, but also expressed its festive care for consumers and conveyed the brand's warmth.

Giving charm to the years and showing the brand history

The reason why traditional liquor brands are traditional is precisely because they have a long history. The accumulation over the years has not only produced better wine with a mellower taste, but also added a sense of time-honoredness to the brand.

Red Star Erguotou, an affordable liquor born in 1949, has always been a favorite of the people and has remained at the forefront of the Beijing liquor market due to its popularity.

In this short film shot by Red Star Erguotou and Zhang Hanyu, Zhang Hanyu, as a native Beijinger, conveyed his sincere pride and love for Red Star Erguotou from the perspective of an ordinary consumer. On the one hand, it highlighted the brand's unique Beijing culture and its position as a regional liquor leader; on the other hand, it used concise copy and plain language to showcase the brand's long history and closeness to the public, invisibly narrowing the distance with regional consumers.

Yanghe Time-honored Brand TVC Advertisement

TVC copy of Yanghe Time-honored Brand: "Life is like old wine. You have to be able to endure polishing, stand up to harsh demands, and endure loneliness to make it mellow and smooth. Yanghe Time-honored Brand, the older it is, the mellower it is."

People say that life is like wine. Here, the time-honored brand Yanghe goes a step further and compares life to old wine. Both need to be polished by time to become more flavorful. In less than fifty words, it not only illustrates the long history and mellow taste of Yanghe, but also shows the profound cultural connotation of the brand. This copy is short but concise and worth savoring.

In general, as traditional liquor brands are mainly targeting the middle-aged and elderly market , their overall style and tonality are relatively deep and majestic. From the selection of spokespersons to the copywriting and story telling, they are all rich in culture and weight. In addition, traditional liquors correspond to the traditional Chinese thinking and usually convey brand concepts such as longevity, sincerity, and reunion .

02 New wine brands: diverse perspectives highlighting young attitudes

Compared with traditional liquor brands, new liquor brands are not limited to white wine. There are many categories such as beer, fruit wine, sparkling wine, etc. They are mainly aimed at young groups. Their brand advertisements are also rich in diverse creativity, which to a certain extent reflects the current individual life attitude of young people.

Show real life and interpret individual concepts

When RIO launched its new product, it released two adorable pet short films from the cat's perspective.

RIO cat movie "This wine tastes a bit mio"

With the pet economy now prevalent, it is common for urban residents living alone to keep cats. RIO unfolds the short film from the perspective of a cat, vividly depicting the animal's desire for the company of its owner. While being full of cuteness, it also creates a comfortable and lazy atmosphere for nestling at home, drinking and petting cats, bringing an immersive cat-hugging experience, which I believe has touched the hearts of many "cat owners".

The new consumer brand HiBai Sparkling Wine went the other way and teamed up with Ma Di to shoot a vlog about quitting drinking.

Hi, Ma Di's 24-hour alcohol rehabilitation

The Vlog records the daily life of Ma Di, who has "difficulty quitting drinking", after he announced that he would quit drinking. The short video is full of jokes, reflecting the unique sense of humor of Beijinger Ma Di. In addition, he also talked about the reason why he was unwilling to quit drinking - he was reluctant to give up his friendship with his friends. This also indirectly shows that contemporary young people drink alcohol to satisfy social desires beyond just their own needs. The brand uses this to convey the inner wishes of young drinkers and at the same time interpret the philosophy of free and real life.

Emphasis on visual expression to awaken purchasing needs

For the French Grey Goose Vodka, which is rooted in foreign culture, the scene-based expression in its brand advertising presents a unique visual effect.

French Grey Goose Vodka commercial

In this advertisement, the heroine passes by a flower shop and thousands of petals roll up into a breeze, dancing with the heroine, showing a happy state of being slightly drunk after drinking vodka. There is no mention of alcohol in the entire advertisement, but the drinking experience is externalized through visual expression, giving consumers a refreshing, natural and immersive experience.

In addition, Jiang Xiaobai, which went viral with 100 posters a few days ago, also put a lot of effort into its packaging.

From the initial "telling stories with the bottle" that touched the hearts of countless people to the current cross-border collaboration with brands , "packaging copy" has long become an impressive feature of Jiang Xiaobai. As the "marketing master of the liquor industry", Jiang Xiaobai has been welcomed by young people for his outstanding visual expression and writing skills, and has also aroused purchasing demand from more "outsiders".

For emerging wine brands, history and quality cannot compete, but we can start from the pain points and excitement points of consumers. It can be seen that traditional liquors and new liquors face different consumer groups and have significantly different marketing methods: one focuses on products, the other focuses on consumer communication, and their creative entry points are also different.

Therefore, even if you don’t drink alcohol, major brands can still come up with something new to advertise alcohol.

Author: TOP Jun

Source: TopMarketing (ID: TMarketing)