In the Doghouse: Diageo Admits Targeting 18-24 Year Olds With Red Stripe Alcopop

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November 19, 2013

With an honesty rarely seen among alcohol producers, Diageo’s Red Stripe brand manager stated that a new raspberry-flavored malt beverage (FMB) is a “recruitment-driven” product designated primarily for 18-24 year old females.

Red Stripe Burst, a Jamaican brand, is owned by London-based global booze behemoth Diageo (producer of Smirnoff Ice). A November 6 Gleaner article entitled “Red Stripe Creates Raspberry Beer for Young Drinkers” included a statement by Ms. Mitchell: “We hope it has crossover appeal,” suggesting the pink and red labels and raspberry beer flavor has already been tested to appeal to young women. According to the article, the decision to distribute the product line in the U.S., Canada, and the UK will be made by Red Stripe executives in those countries.

“It’s clear now that Diageo tests alcopop beverages on 18-24 year old cohorts of young women and men in other countries before marketing them in places like the United States where the drinking age is appropriately higher,” said Bruce Lee Livingston, Executive Director / CEO of Alcohol Justice. “Alcopops were designed as cocktails on training wheels, sweet and fruity, to lure underage youth into unhealthy drinking behaviors, especially girls. Now we have written proof that Diageo is leading the charge in a race to the bottom of the alcopop barrel to endanger youth.”