In Brazil, Advertisers Focus on the Beer—Without the Babes
- Ambev, Heineken are among beermakers toning down their ads
- Appealing to more women is key to countering sales slump
Brazil Beer Ads Aim for More Female Appeal
In Brazil, land of the itty-bitty bikini and nearly naked Carnival dancers, one summertime staple is in short supply this season: the raunchy beer commercial.
Brazil’s top four beer producers are toning down sexual stereotypes in their advertisements, tapping into the “gender friendly” wave that’s already commonplace in many markets globally. Ambev SA, which controls more than 60 percent of the domestic market, is still producing edgy marketing content, but it’s focused on diversity, like the recent Budweiser commercial that showed a passionate gay kiss during prime-time TV. Since last summer, Heineken NV has been running a version of its “Moderate Drinkers Wanted” campaign in which trendy party-goers of both sexes have a blast dancing, chatting and drinking but know when to turn down the next beer.