Back 'newspaper articles' index.

Guinness Stout has finally lost it's power and this is the best news brewers have had for their consumers in a long, long time.

Recently consumers have written letters to the editors of some dailies saying that although the new look bottle launched last year amidst great fan-fare that saw the brand's macho image in the form of Michael Power coming all the way from South Africa to bring to a culmination weeks of hype.

For before this grand finale at the Safari Park Hotel, the media both print and electronic was abuzz with tit-bits on the impending re-launch. Indeed a helicopter criss-crossed the skies over Nairobi, Kenya's capital with a safe dangling beneath it.

A local radio station, which commands a fanatical following among the young invited callers, and young at heart to call in with their answers to what they thought was contained in the safe. Finally one caller managed to put two and two together to get Guinness.

And so to the final night with Michael Power swooping out of the sky in a helicopter awaited by the crème de la crème of Kenyan society, to music and the erotic resident dance troupe the Safari Cats and even if you had never drank Guinness in your life, more so if you were a young and impressionable youngster, the urge to chug a few bottles of the stout would suddenly become irresistible.

It was trendy; cool even the new look bottle was labeled cool. But more so it was macho for the brands slogan also went 'Guinness brings out the power in you!' And you had to believe it for the accompanying, lavish ads on TV all like miniature movies had Michael Power overcoming all odds and saving the situation. Right after these daredevil exploits they would be all swigging Guinness as Michael threw in a witticism and the jingle blared out into your living rooms 'Guinness brings out the power in you!'

And there would be your baby brother all of 10 years old tumbling on the floor, battling imaginary heroes "paff, paff" swinging tiny fists before loudly stating "I am Michael Power and you can't beat me because I have drank Guinness."

This was advertising at its worst targeting impressionable young minds that could not tell fact from fiction. Making it looks macho to drink. Implying that you could solve your problems with drink. Subtly implanting the idea that drinking made you smart and would help you become daring. That members of the opposite sex would find you more attractive if you drank this particular brand.

All through these ads this subconscious priming of your mind was going on; even an ordinary guy could turn into a tough fellow ala Michael Power by drinking Guinness. These ads were in short the best example of the worst kind of advertising for what is passed off as just another consumer but is it not.

For alcohol including beer, is a mood-altering drug capable of causing addiction and all the horrors that accompany it. But long before the addiction stage, beer in this case can bring great sorrow and suffering to families - including as it often does death.

If Kenya had advertising regulations and guidelines this kind of advertising would not make it onto our screens, radios or newspapers. (See "Alcohol Other Drugs And You" People On Sunday December 19, 2003 'Welcome to 'never-'never' land of drink and honey'

But maybe the brand manager read that particular article or other's in this column and as a result some major changes have come about. Quietly, without a whisper of hype Guinness advertising has gone 'powerless!'. Yes the only thing you can connect with the word power is in the name of Michael Power.

But no more chest thumping antics. Instead a voiceover talking about "brewed with a secret formula, for a taste that is rich dark and truly satisfying. A taste enjoyed across Africa and the world. A taste that can only be Guinness." Indeed that last sentence has replaced "Guinness brings out the power in you."

A taste that can only be Guinness." Who in their right minds can complain about that? When I hear the term 'corporate responsibility' this is what I have in mind. For even though alcohol is a mood altering drug, used moderately to enhance other activities and not as an activity in itself it is capable of and indeed brings pleasure to thousands of its users.

This is a case of responsible advertising at its best and if the brewers are too modest to blow their own trumpet, I wish to take this opportunity to blow it for them. For Kenyans need to be taught the dangers inherent in casual alcohol use. As it stands now many Kenyans are binge drinkers, problem drinkers, drunkards and alcoholics.

This column has long stated that manufactures should be partners in this awareness campaign. Plowing back a small fraction of their immense profits in awareness programs would be an admiral step.

But before that, responsible advertising of their products so as not to make them overly attractive to the most vulnerable segment of the population the Kenyan youth, is a major step forward in this fight and every Kenyan of goodwill who has the interests of our young, who comprise 60% of the population should congratulate the Guinness brand manager. Now it is for the rest of the alcoholic beverage industry to take heed, including the brand managers for the other beers in the Kenya Breweries Limited Stable.

On another front in the drug abuse awareness campaign, the long awaited Baseline Survey on drug abuse in Kenya by the Office of the National Coordinator was launched on Friday. This column will in the coming weeks bring you an analysis of this document.

The writer is the winner of the Kenya Union of Journalists, 2003 Drugs Reporter of the Year Award. A recovering alcoholic he can be reached at goinghomedotcom@yahoo.com Website: www.goinghomekenya.org

This site is designed by David Ogot snr. and hosted by
Science & Engineering Research Center
©goinghomedotcom 2001 - 2006
Disclaimer Privacy Policy