Liquor/Tobacco ads and racing.

[CaolinaJoe]

Does it really matter? It's not like they ride around with a fifth hanging out the window and a butt in their mouth. Just another example of the PC crowd looking for anything to bitch about.

I'm talking about paint schemes, not TV advertising.

[hormone]

I don't follow racing, but isn't that why they drink milk instead of champagne now? It's all about people blaming other people for their habits. Step up. I get loaded and it had nothing to do with a sign in the outfield.

[CaolinaJoe]

I don't follow racing, but isn't that why they drink milk instead of champagne now? It's all about people blaming other people for their habits. Step up. I get loaded and it had nothing to do with a sign in the outfield.

I believe milk has always been an Indy tradition. F-1 let's the bubbly flow in winner circle, and NASCAR lets the suds fly.

[Saintsfan]

I couldn't agree less. It does matter. If the advertising didn't work, why would the manufacturers poor so much money into it? Particualrly as far as tobacco is concerned. For years in the UK, advertising cigarettes was banned on TV and the companies responded by pumping money into sports sponsorship. And they made a big deal of it. So in Cricket you had the benson and Hedges Cup, the John Player League, in other sports embassy, silk cut, marlboro, camel, rothmans all used sports connections to get there name out there. When threats to sponsorship started, how did BAT react? By launching ITS own F1 team (BAR). Why target sports? Because kids follow sports.

[See Red]

it's the liquor adds they're concerned about? Just because kids may be watching? Or because they promote drinking and driving? If anything, I'd think it'd be the fact that these guys are driving at, like, 200 MPH.

I mean, who hasn't immitated a race car driver and taken a corner at twice the recommended speed? It can't be safe.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Does it really matter? It's not like they ride around with a fifth hanging out the window and a butt in their mouth. Just another example of the PC crowd looking for anything to bitch about.

I'm talking about paint schemes, not TV advertising.

The only reason there is no longer a Skoal Bandit or a Winston Cup or a Winston Drag Racing, is because of the American banning of Tobbaco Advertising.

Paintjobs are considered advertising. Most drivers still call it the "Winston Cup"..if you watched practice yesterday for the 500, Mike Wallace (I believe) said "Yeah, we're an up-and-coming team, and we're looking forward to making a splash in Winston--crap Nextel Cup."

[CaolinaJoe]

Does it really matter?  It's not like they ride around with a fifth hanging out the window and a butt in their mouth.  Just another example of the PC crowd looking for anything to bitch about.

I'm talking about paint schemes, not TV advertising.

The only reason there is no longer a Skoal Bandit or a Winston Cup or a Winston Drag Racing, is because of the American banning of Tobbaco Advertising.

Paintjobs are considered advertising. Most drivers still call it the "Winston Cup"..if you watched practice yesterday for the 500, Mike Wallace (I believe) said "Yeah, we're an up-and-coming team, and we're looking forward to making a splash in Winston--crap Nextel Cup."

I know the paint jobs are advertising, hence the title of the thread.

Mike Wallace isn't a regular driver. The last time he competed regularly, it was Winston Cup. You won't hear any of the regular guys making that mistake. Maybe early last year, but not now.

[ROCHitman]

It's a new day and age in NASCAR and this comes along with it.

I see nothing wrong with it, but then again, I'm over the legal drinking age and have no kids.

[sj32]

I'm surprised it has taken them this long considering NASCAR's roots are in moonshine hauling.

[NJTank]

Beat me too it SJ32 yeah NASCAR drivers in the early days were moonshine haulers taht raced on the weekend including Lee Petty Richard Petty's father, and a racing legend in his own right.

[Dilbert]

I will take tobacco and alcohol over Larry The Cable Guys idea of having it named after Tampax and other womanly things.

[Saintsfan]

I will take tobacco and alcohol over Larry The Cable Guys idea of having it named after Tampax and other womanly things.

Well thats not gonna, happen, target audience and so on. Actually whats happened in F1 is more computer companues, accountants and so on have gotten involved, and people h ocan tie stuff into there advertising promotions. And car companies have gotten more involved, so Toyota, Renault ahnd until this year, jaguar have run there own teams.

[Mac6674]

I don't see it as a big deal, if you talk to your kids, they usually make smart decisions. I doubt seeing a cigarette ad on a race car is going to push the kid over the edge, when they can see people smoking in the streets or spot the cigarettes behind the counter.

What really bothers me is the fact that they take the beer sponsors out of the PlayStation version of the games. This denial is dumb; especially the way they replace the sponsor with the driver's name.

[random]

if you are too much of a dumb a-hole to resist the evil hypnotic ads of liquor and tobacco companies whizzing by at 200 mph then you deserve whatever fate befalls you from your inability to make decisions using your own intellect, call it darwinism.

furthermore, kids cant just get tobacco and liquor, even if they see the add of kurt busch's race car they cant just stroll into the nearest ABC store and pick up a flask, somewhere along the lines there are parents who have to take resposibility for their kids and keep them from getting cigarettes or alcohol.

just another example of big government playing the nanny state.

[Saintsfan]

if you are too much of a dumb a-hole to resist the evil hypnotic ads of liquor and tobacco companies whizzing by at 200 mph then you deserve whatever fate befalls you from your inability to make decisions using your own intellect, call it darwinism.

furthermore, kids cant just get tobacco and liquor, even if they see the add of kurt busch's race car they cant just stroll into the nearest ABC store and pick up a flask, somewhere along the lines there are parents who have to take resposibility for their kids and keep them from getting cigarettes or alcohol.

just another example of big government playing the nanny state.

But advertising adds to the allure of a lifestyle, nit just a particular product. Its not about people not having self control, but if advertising didn't work, why do corporations spend so much money on it? Not for the sake of art.

[winters in buffalo]

NASCAR's target audience buys cigarettes and alcohol. It's a sensible advertising medium. I don't get reasoning behind the ads for prescription drugs. When is the last time a NASCAR fan visited the doctor?

[JamesCraven]

What about Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Enzyte? We ain't talking about chicken plop there with those, boys and girls.

[Grandmaster C]

I've never had a problem with advertising those types of products. I've watched NASCAR for about 4 years now, and I never started smoking nor did I become an alcoholic or anything like that.

[random]

But advertising adds to the allure of a lifestyle, nit just a particular product. Its not about people not having self control, but if advertising didn't work, why do corporations spend so much money on it? Not for the sake of art.

Advertising is not what makes kids want to drink and smoke. The thing that makes kids want to drink or smoke is very simply, human nature. Teenagers naturally want to rebel against authority and do more adult things, especially things they "arent supposed to do" among these, sex, smoking, and drinking. Even if every beer commercial were to dissappear tomorrow kids would still want to drink. its just a fact of nature.

Major corporations advertise mainly to increase their market share, thus Bud Light advertises not to create new beer drinkers but to try and get some Coors Light drinkers to switch over. Do some kids see these commercials and then start drinking? perhaps, but its not like these kids live in caves, the majority of them will find the allure of drinking and smoking from their peers not from television commercials and racecars. Kids are still smoking despite all the advertising bans. Sure the numbers have gone down, but i believe that is more because of increased taxes driving the price of cigarettes up and smokers becoming almost second class citizens in many places.

The point is NASCAR's marketing campaigns are focused on adults. Kids cant drink Budweiser, smoke Winstons, drive Chevy's, use a Irwin buzzsaw, buy a power tool from Home Depot or even send something with UPS. Yet all of those companies advertise with NASCAR.

NASCAR has made the decision that advertising hard liquor does not violate the sensibilities of the majority of its fans, therefore they allow it. I don't see a problem

[CaolinaJoe]

I don't know about you, but after yesterday I want to go to Home Depot, paint my house, drink a Bud or Miller(little torn there), pop a Viagra and write on my wife with a Sharpie.