Eighteen Attorneys General wrote to Pabst Brewing Company, the maker of Blast by Colt 45 asking the company to reduce the alcohol content of their a fruity flavored alcoholic drink from the current 12% or a more reasonable rate. They fear that the 23.5 ounce container could be consumed all in one sitting and would cause excessive intake of alcohol, more commonly known as binge drinking. They also feel that the marketing of these products to 21 to 29 year olds is “irresponsible.” The Attorneys General are asking Pabst to decrease the serving size or reduce the alcohol content.

Putting aside the decision Pabst will make on this matter, the two sections of the letter which focused on marketing were a concern to me. First of all, the letter calls out Pabst for “potentially marketing Blast to underage persons.” These drinks are not marketed on Nickelodeon or through sponsoring Sesame Street on PBS but are marketed to adults who could legally partake in the product. Using the Attorneys General logic Miller Park, where the Major League Milwaukee Brewers play their games, would be an effort by Miller Beer to appeal to younger audiences. Children who attend games with their parents will come to associate the name Miller with fun and exciting times spent with their family. Where are the Attorneys General asking for the stadium to be renamed?

Secondly, the letter states that the use of Snoop Dogg “who is popular to persons under the 21” constitutes marketing to underage children. The broad appeal of any star in the public eye is rarely relegated to just one age range. Snoop Dogg is an adult with a career that started in the 1990’s and continues to this day. Originally Colt 45 used actor Billy De Williams who had a role in the Star Wars movies which appealed to younger viewers far more than Snoop Dogg’s hip hop music with its strong language. Snoop Dogg made an adult decision to help promote the Blast by Colt 45 beverage and Pabst has the right to use adult aged spokespeople to market their products.

Clearly, changes will be made by Pabst as it relates to the production of Blast by Colt 45. Many responsible companies make missteps and learn from them. However, when it comes to marketing a product that is targeting 21 to 29 year olds, I’d argue that Pabst is making efforts to control the exposure to only their targeted audience. Clearly they are not marketing to minors and the insinuation that Snoop Dogg appeals stronger to the youth of today than to adults is a huge stretch at best.

Are the Attorneys General correct about the marketing of Blast by Colt 45?