The demon drink’s long echo: how the legacy of prohibition in the USA shaped the advertising and public relations strategies of the liquor industry

Purpose This paper aims to trace how the cultural memory of Prohibition continues to shape how distillers approach the advertising and marketing of their products, despite the already well-established American custom of enjoying cocktails as part of an acceptable lifestyle. It proposes that the liquor industry pursued a strategy of dismantling the lesson Prohibition taught Americans, which was to treat liquor as “hard” and more dangerous when compared to other types of beverage alcohol. By establishing a self-regulatory advertising code, positing alcohol equivalency, airing its advertisements on network television after a 40-year voluntary ban and associating liquor with the nation’s heritage, the industry has pursued an advertising and public relations strategy not only to increase market share but to move beyond its demon drink past. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative analysis drawing on a close reading of the internal and external liquor industry documents including policy memos, advertising collections, public relations strategies, press releases and published reports. Direct interviews were also conducted with industry executives, a museum preservationist and a former government official for the Federal Trade Commission. Findings The manuscript provides insights into four important public relations strategies that the liquor industry adopted in the wake of Prohibition Repeal. It documents how the liquor industry adopted a self-regulatory advertising model; created an “alcohol equivalency” theme in its advertising; established advertising on network television and cable following a 40-year self-imposed ban; and linked its products to the country’s history and heritage. Research limitations/implications This paper limited its focus to documents from the Distilled Spirits Council of the USA, the chief lobbying association for the liquor industry, and the Seagram advertising campaigns in the USA. Researchers are encouraged to study other individual advertising campaigns by American liquor companies. Practical implications This paper includes implications for how persuasive communication can be used to influence public perception of a brand and image. Originality/value This study highlights how the liquor industry has historically framed attempts to regulate its products differently and restrict its ability to advertise as an ongoing American culture war between prohibitionists and temperance advocates. This perspective is important for cultural historians, consumers and regulators to understand given beverage alcohol’s influence on public health. Distillers have used advertising and public relations strategies that appeal to individual rights and embrace the traditional view of drinking as a positive social good. Examining these advertising and public relations strategies has important implications for marketing history and for stakeholders interested in developing regulatory and ethical frameworks.