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New BuzzBallz Brand Targeting Youth

January 19, 2016

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Bright colors, many flavors, and high alcohol by volume: Buzzballz is definitely not aiming at Baby Boomers with its new brand extension. Its slogan is "Ready to Shoot," and Shooterz certainly is. It comes in a 750 ml container of premixed cocktails with 30% ABV and a shot glass attached to the bottle. That's an additional 10-15% ABV than the original Buzzballz circa 2010.

The original flavored, colored, spirits-in-a-ball was created by a former high school teacher, who got the idea for a beverage that would be nonbreakable and safe while sitting by the pool. According to the creator Buzzballz is all meant to be fun, and not meant to be a harmful beverage.

But some youth advocates and college students disagree. They say that the product is focused on, and captures the attention of, youth.

Buzzballz and any of its products, including Shooterz, are anything but safe. The evidence is clear: flavored and high-ABV alcoholic beverages contribute to an increased risk of related harm among youth. Such products add to the overall rates of alcohol-related harm in the US, especially to youth.

To learn more about the dangers of alcopops and other flavored alcoholic beverages, see our recent report.

Doghouse: Los Angeles youth drowning in unhealthy advertisements

December 21, 2015

ARG


BanBillboardBlight.org's Dennis Hathaway recently wrote an insightful blog post on the vast problems remaining in Los Angeles with outdoor advertising sending unhealthy messages to youth, including ads containing alcohol, tobacco, and guns. Click here to read the entire post.





Tropical Alcopop Targets Millennial Women

November 30, 2015

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Mike’s Hard Lemonade (Mark Anthony Group) has joined a trend with its Palm Breeze spritzer, stating that the new brand is focused on Millennial women. Dressed in a breezy tropical look, Palm Breeze sits in a cold case with other sweet, fizzy, dangerous alcopops.

Mike’s has stated that it is filling a market gap, "designed specifically to appeal to the 11 million millennial women that annually drink more than 13 million cases of flavored malt beverages" with, among other promotional factors, a lower alcohol by volume (ABV). Mike's hopes the carbonated beverage will evoke a tropical vacation feeling from a can and become a daily favorite among Millennial women. Put another way, the fruit-flavored, inexpensive, lower ABV alcopop will make it easier for girls to start drinking, and encourage young women to drink more often.

Females experience more negative effects from alcohol than males. Binge drinking in young women has increased over the last decade, fueled predominantly by flavored alcoholic beverages/alcopops. In that regard Mike's is not only contributing to a trend; it's a leader.



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