Molson Beer Advertisement Analysis

The Molson beer advertisement appeared in Playboy Magazine and FHM during 2002 and 2003. Advertising is mass media content intended to persuade audiences of readers, viewers or listeners to take action on products, services and ideas. The idea is to drive consumer behaviour in a particular way in regard to a product, service or concept (Curtis, 2013, page 1). Alcohol or specifically, beer advertisements are intended to persuade the reader into thinking that the consumption of the alcohol product would change their life and give them whatever their heart desires, be it the affection and attention of the opposite sex, being popular or having a speed boat. Using semiotic analysis, the science of signs, or the study of signs and sign systems (O’Shaughnessy

According to Playboy’s mission statement they are a magazine intended for “the sophisticated urban male” (Playboy magazine) which means its readers are aged 18 – 35, which is roughly the same age the target market of Molson beer. Although figure one appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine, a magazine intended for women, the advertisement is aimed at young, heterosexual men, as it links gaining a woman’s attention with buying a Molson Canadian beer. The advertisement was distributed over both the United States of America and Canada, and broadcast on the internet world-wide. But the advert would not appeal to a woman that drinks beer. The actual advertisement that appeared in Playboy and FHM anchors the idea that Molson intends for its customers to be heterosexual men, which are interested in gaining the attention of women. The advertisement makes use of metonymy, which works by associating meanings within the same plane. Its basic definition is making a part stand for a whole (Fiske, 1990, 95). The sentence “a new set of 20 inch rims”, is a metonymy as it represents cars, which in turn connotes towards men. The words “The game is about to change, and you’re the heavy favourite” and “its victory” has connotations of sport further reinforces its heterosexual male target audiences. The sentences “Extravagant

The most important information is printed in red or capital letters. The sentence “HUNDRENDS OF THOUSANDS OF WOMEN”, gains the attention of the male reader, not only because of the capital letters but because of the composition of the words. The advertisement has trademarked the term “twin advertising”, as both advertisements tell two different stories. The first advert (fig1) that appeared in Cosmopolitan, suggests that men that drink Molson Canadian beer are “confident”, yet ‘compassionate”. It implies that Molson drinkers are sensitive, romantic and good looking. But the actual advertisement that appeared in Playboy implies the direct opposite. The advert suggests that men are in fact insensitive and only interested in using women for their own sexual gratification. The “miracle” of Molson’s twin advertising relies solely on the hope that women will not pick up a Playboy magazine or FHM, as they are only marketed or intended towards men. If women were to see the advert it may evoke very negative feelings with Molson drinkers as opposed to the “very positive feelings” the advert states. The advertisement is not only highly manipulative but also sexist towards both sexes as it assumes that its target audience is very