Impact of alcohol marketing content regulation on consumers’ responses and warnings’ visibility

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Study objectives:Our research tackles the effectiveness of alcohol marketing regulation. More precisely, this researchexamines how content-regulated (CR) marketing as proposed in the French Evin law (that mandates ads andpackaging to convey only factual information and objective qualities of alcohol products) compared to nonregulated marketing - and particularly “limited edition” (LE) ads and packs (with novel designs orinnovations) - can influence perceptions, attitude, desire to consume alcohol and the noticeability ofwarnings displayed in ads to inform about risks.Methods and material:A between-subject designed experiment was conducted on 696 individuals aged 15-30 with an onlinequestionnaire. Twelve stimuli were used: 3 (alcohol brands: Absolut Vodka, Hennessy cognac and Moet &Chandon champagne) x 2 (CR packs presented in regulated ads vs. LE packs presented in non-regulated ads)x 2 (warning format: less vs. more prominent). Each participant was exposed to 3 stimuli of 3 the differentbrands. The LE pack (and ad) of Absolut was designed by a fashion designer, the LE of Hennessy by an artistand the LE Moet was a golden LE launched for the New Year.Results:Results show that CR packs and ads, compared to LE ones, reduce attractiveness of the ad, products’ appealand desire to consume alcohol. While prominence enhances warning’s attentional processing, none of thetested ad types influenced its noticeability.Conclusion:Content-regulated laws such as the Evin law in France are effective way to reduce alcohol appeal amongyoung adults.