Unfiltered Influence: How Alcohol Ads on Social Media Target Young Adults

Beau Callahan in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 4 min read.

"A Deep Dive into Twitter Reveals Alarming Trends in Alcohol Advertising and Its Impact on Vulnerable Youth"

In today's digital age, the allure of social media is undeniable, especially for young adults. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have become integral to daily life, shaping how we connect, communicate, and consume information. But what happens when these spaces become breeding grounds for targeted advertising, particularly for products with potentially harmful effects, such as alcohol?

Recent research has shed light on the pervasive nature of alcohol advertising on social media, revealing how brands are strategically leveraging these platforms to reach and influence young audiences. One study, published in the American Journal of Health Education, delves into the advertising practices of leading alcohol brands on Twitter, uncovering concerning trends that demand our attention.

This article unpacks the findings of this study, exploring the tactics employed by alcohol advertisers, the potential risks to young adults, and the implications for public health. We'll examine how these advertising strategies circumvent traditional regulations, exploit vulnerabilities, and contribute to a culture where alcohol consumption is normalized and even glorified.

The Twitter Tapestry: Decoding Alcohol Advertising

A surreal illustration symbolizing the influence of alcohol advertising on social media, depicting a bluebird with a beer can flying towards a teenager on their phone.

The study, led by researchers Adam E. Barry, Danny Valdez, Alisa A. Padon, and Alex M. Russell, employed a novel approach to analyze the Twitter activity of 13 prominent alcohol brands. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a sophisticated topic modeling technique, the researchers sifted through years of tweets, from 2010 to 2017, to identify recurring themes and patterns in the brands' messaging.

What they discovered was a carefully crafted landscape of advertising, where each brand tailored its approach to resonate with its target audience. Jack Daniels, for example, embraced a rock-and-roll lifestyle, peppered with references to music, nights out, and the open road. Bacardi, on the other hand, aligned itself with parties and celebrations, using language that evoked a sense of untamed fun. Heineken linked their products to sports and fandom, while Grey Goose focused on luxury and sophistication.

Targeted Messaging: Each brand carefully tailors its message to resonate with its specific target audience.
Lifestyle Integration: Alcohol is presented as an integral part of desirable lifestyles, such as rock and roll, partying, and sports fandom.
Emotional Appeal: Advertising often taps into emotions such as excitement, fun, and belonging.
Normalization: By associating alcohol with everyday activities and social events, advertising normalizes its consumption.

These findings highlight the insidious nature of social media advertising, where brands can bypass traditional regulations and directly target vulnerable populations. By weaving their products into the fabric of daily life and associating them with positive emotions and experiences, alcohol advertisers create a powerful and persuasive narrative that can be difficult for young adults to resist.

Protecting Our Youth: A Call to Action

The research paints a concerning picture of alcohol advertising on social media and underscores the need for stronger regulations and greater awareness. Public health practitioners, policymakers, and educators must work together to protect young adults from the harmful effects of these marketing tactics. This includes advocating for stricter advertising standards, promoting media literacy, and empowering young people to make informed choices about alcohol consumption. By taking proactive steps, we can create a healthier and safer environment for our youth, where they are not constantly bombarded with messages that promote risky behaviors.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1080/19325037.2018.1473180, Alternate LINK

Title: Alcohol Advertising On Twitter—A Topic Model

Subject: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Journal: American Journal of Health Education

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Adam E. Barry, Danny Valdez, Alisa A. Padon, Alex M. Russell

Published: 2018-06-29

Everything You Need To Know

How did researchers analyze Twitter data to understand alcohol advertising strategies?

The study utilized Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a topic modeling technique, to analyze tweets from 13 prominent alcohol brands between 2010 and 2017. This method allowed researchers like Adam E. Barry, Danny Valdez, Alisa A. Padon, and Alex M. Russell, to identify recurring themes and patterns in the brands' messaging, revealing how each brand tailored its approach to resonate with its target audience. LDA helps to sift through large amounts of unstructured text data to find hidden topics.

What specific tactics do alcohol brands use on social media platforms like Twitter to target young adults?

Alcohol brands employ various tactics, including targeted messaging that resonates with specific demographics, lifestyle integration that portrays alcohol as part of desirable activities, emotional appeals that tap into feelings like excitement and belonging, and normalization strategies that associate alcohol with everyday events. For instance, Jack Daniels links itself to a rock-and-roll lifestyle, while Bacardi aligns with parties, Heineken with sports, and Grey Goose with luxury. These findings underscore the insidious nature of social media advertising.

In what ways does alcohol advertising on social media avoid traditional advertising regulations?

Alcohol advertising on social media circumvents traditional regulations by directly targeting vulnerable populations and weaving their products into the fabric of daily life. By associating alcohol with positive emotions and experiences, these advertisers create a persuasive narrative that can be difficult for young adults to resist. This circumvention is achieved through targeted messaging, lifestyle integration, emotional appeal, and normalization, making it harder to regulate than traditional advertising methods.

What actions can be taken to protect young adults from the harmful effects of alcohol advertising on social media, and what specific policies might support this?

To protect young adults, public health practitioners, policymakers, and educators must advocate for stricter advertising standards, promote media literacy, and empower young people to make informed choices about alcohol consumption. While the text did not discuss specific legislative actions, this could involve lobbying for stricter regulations on alcohol advertising on social media platforms. Educating youth on how advertising works, and how to identify targeted advertising is a proactive step in creating a healthier environment.

What are the broader implications of pervasive alcohol advertising on platforms like Twitter, especially regarding public health and the normalization of alcohol consumption among young adults?

The implications of pervasive alcohol advertising on social media include the normalization and glorification of alcohol consumption, particularly among young adults. This can contribute to a culture where risky behaviors are encouraged, and individuals may be more susceptible to developing alcohol-related problems. This also poses challenges for public health, requiring proactive interventions to mitigate the harmful effects of these marketing tactics. Future exploration of long-term impacts on public health and individual behaviors would be useful to better understand the full scope of the impact.