Spirits Industry Considers Television Ad Campaign To Boost Sluggish Sales.

In an attempt to bolster sales like those seen in the beer and wine sectors, the U.S. liquor industry may embark on an advertising campaign that could include TV commercials.

According to news reports, the industry's trade group Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS)

Critics of liquor advertising said they feared the intent of such a promotion would disparage the seriousness of alcoholism and endorse overindulgence of alcohol. DISCUS asked the ad agency to make proposals on how to proceed.

While critics fear being bombarded with television ads for vodka and rum, DISCUS maintains the ad campaign proposal is still in its preliminary stages and thus, has yet to select what type of campaign to follow.

Driving the consideration for advertising is that the liquor industry has seen sluggish sales and may be increasingly envious of the relative freedom the beer and wine industries have to advertise on radio and TV in recent years. On average, Americans over age 21 now drink 1.8 gallons of spirits a year, a 40 percent drop from the average 3 gallons they drank in 1980, according to Impact Databank, a New York research group. U.S. liquor sales in 1997 were estimated at $33.6 billion.

The ad proposal comes a little more than two years after liquor makers ended a self-imposed ban against advertising on radio and TV that had been in place for nearly 50 years.

Sources say the trade group may spend up to $40 million for broadcast ads or as much as 13 times what its liquor-company members currently spend collectively to advertise individual brands of rum, gin and other alcohol on television. Estimates are that individual liquor companies spent about $10 million on TV and radio ads for their brands in 1997. If launched, the ad campaign would run on cable channels in the evening hours.

Meanwhile, the same ad agency, Bozell, also launched a $1.3 million campaign aimed at prodding Americans to drink more wine, on behalf of the Wine Market Council, a group of 250 U.S. vintners. The TV ads mark a first for the wine industry. The campaign theme promotes the enjoyment of wine for everyday occasions. Coming as the wine industry posts its fifth straight year of growth, the campaign targets consumers mostly over 40 years of age that consume about 88 percent of the nation's wine supply.

Late last year, the Federal Trade Commission asked eight beer, wine and liquor companies to provide detailed information about some of their advertising. The agency is expected to release a report soon that is examining alcohol marketers for practices including targeting young consumers.