Jim Beam provides support to countless board-riding clubs. They are, self-proclaimed, The Spirit of Surfing. When I saw a young kid in a contest at Freshwater Beach wearing a Jim Beam contest rashie I asked how old he was. He said 13. I Tweeted about it. Jim Beam responded 'Guys, we would never give merch to any under 18's and we don't support their comp, he probably got it from his Dad!' The consumption of hard liquor by under-age drinkers continues to rise alarmingly. Should we tell Jim Beam to f--k off back to Kentucky?

john

it seems like Jim Beam gave a responsible answer.

Personally, I prefer Wild Turkey when it comes to Bourbon.

Thanks for your reply MAWIMike. If Jim Beam gave a responsible answer, and Dad did give the kid his Jim Beam rashie to wear in the contest, was Dad being responsible? Bear in mind that under-age drinking is not good for kids or for society, not now or in the future. Hard liquor as an introduction to your drinking career, at whatever age, is not something to be encouraged. I'm glad I started on beer. Jim Beam has long had a strategy of 'supporting' the surf culture. Ought the brand bear some responsibility for the grommet vomit phenomenon? Decades ago JB ran ads in Tracks magazine, despite its high proportion of young-teenage readers. Now we are deep in the digital age, transparency is giving way to translucency. The mega-effectiveness of grass roots promotion via the Internet seems to be out of all proportion to the interest, if any, being shown by the alcohol industry's self-regulation. How did you become brand loyal to Wild Turkey, out of interest?

John

I can't pass judgement on the father as I don't have any cause and effect data that the passing on a company logo to your child results in risky behavior.

I believe underage drinking is a problem, as well as irresponsible drinking at any age. I'm not sure that sponsorship of a sporting event leads to either one though. The US Government has reached the conclusion of late that they can't determine the return on investment in sports sponsorship. As a result they are stopping military sponsorship/advertising activites of NASCAR racing and other things under review.

Not sure what grommet vomit is, but I'm more a believer in parents being responsible for how their children turn out then some company advertising in a magazine.

Good on you MAWIMike for keeping the discussion going, it's an issue close to my heart. A grommet is stoked kid who surfs and emulates the big guys. May well be showing my age with the term. Sports sponsorship is contentious, much of it doesn't work. But the best of it, done skilfully, is a wonderfully effective way for a cool brand to buy to a sub-culture. Nothing wrong with that, unless what's sold to that sub-culture has broader negative effects unintended by the sponsor. Kids fresh out of school, especially girls, are celebrating the Jim Beam logo and doing a mega-marketing job for Jim Beam. And peer group pressure sometimes (not always, granted) beats parent pressure like scissors beat rock. Spirit consumption among fledgling drinkers, underage girls and boys, is not to be encourage by anyone, least of all I suggest by the distillers themselves even if it's inadvertent. Most teenagers take their cues from the slightly older group. Check out the gallery:
http://www.globalsurftag.com/photos.php