Playing the Game (or Not): How Ukraine and the United States Navigate the Hostile Regulatory Environment for Alcohol Advertising

Abstract

This study tells the story of how two contrasting countries regulate the advertising of alcohol, given its status as a legal but potentially harmful product. Ukraine is a recent market economy still trying to reconcile its desire to build a consumer culture with its uncertainty of the power of advertising, whereas the United States has had more than a century to address fear over advertising effects. The study is an updated comparison to a study by Wolburg and Venger and answers a series of research questions regarding how the magazine advertising of alcohol in both countries meets regulatory standards, how the creative strategy is used to navigate regulations, and how the current advertising differs from that of 10 years prior.