Advertising is simply defined as a paid form of non-personal promotion, by an identified sponsor or sponsors, transmitted through mass mediated channel, with the objective of persuading prospects to purchase a product, adopt an idea, accept a process, or point of view, (Hasan, 2013; Belch, Belch & Purani, 2010; Arens, Weigold & Arens, 2008; Akpan, 2006)
One of the major commodities that has had a long, symbiotic relationship with advertising is alcohol. In medieval Europe, it was used to describe substances obtained through the process or processes of distillation. They are further classified as primary, secondary or tertiary. Alcohols are also said to be by-products of digestion and chemical processes within body cells, found in the tissues and fluids of animals and plants, (Encarta, 2009).
The history of alcohol indicates that drinking has served various purposes for individuals, depending on their communities, countries and societies of origin. It has served as a kind of food, drug and cultural artifact, with important symbolic meanings (Barbor, Gaetano, Casswell, Edwards, Giestrecht, Graham,Grube, Hill, Holder, Homel, Livingston; Osterberg, Flehm, Floom & Fiossow,2010).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in their Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014: “The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years… prior to the modern era, fermented alcoholic beverages are well known in all tribal and village societies, except in Australia, Oceania and North America”.
Drinking and drunkenness had long been recognized as a problem, which could trigger negative Consequences. The Bible and the Koran, as well as the holy books of the world’s popular religions, forbid excessive consumption, or out-rightly prohibit indulgence in alcohol and/or related beverages, which influence or affect their consumers to make irrational decisions, that may have negative physical, social or other implications.