Alcohol, Christmas and The Full Lifecycle Experience
The festive season is here—a time for cozy gatherings, indulgent food, and, of course, a “refreshing” beverage or two. But while we raise our glasses, how often do we pause to think about the full lifecycle of alcohol—from its glamorous start in ads to the sobering public health messages that follow?
Stage 1: The Onboarding Fantasy
Alcohol marketing paints an alluring picture: chic venues, laughter, sophistication, and untroubled perfection. Ads don’t describe the messy middle or the bleary morning after. Instead, they speak in abstract terms—take Heineken’s tagline, “Refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach.” Refreshment is doing some heavy lifting here; iced water? Absolutely refreshing. Tequila shots? Not so much.
Cannabis marketers seem to be borrowing the same playbook—one U.S. ad claims edibles offer “refreshment anytime, anywhere.” If we’re honest, many of these products rarely live up to such serene promises.
Stage 2: The Social Stage
Once consumed, alcohol quickly transitions from sleek advertising to the unpredictable emotions it triggers in real life. A survey from Alcoholic.org found people initially feel jolly and relaxed—95% described themselves as blissfully untroubled after a couple of drinks. But that bliss fades fast. Almost half admitted alcohol eventually brought out disgust, nostalgia, or sadness.
Interestingly, emotions varied by drink:
Wine and cocktails: generally positive, fostering happiness and nostalgia.
Vodka: a double-edged sword—associated with both fun and anxiety.
Whiskey: more likely to elicit sadness, with women specifically reporting feelings of fear.
It seems drinks have their own emotional signatures—yet advertising doesn’t prepare us for this reality.
Stage 3: The Sobering Reality
Eventually, responsibility kicks in. Governments and regulators step into the conversation with messages that starkly contrast the glamour of advertising.
In the UK, alcohol ads can’t “encourage immoderate, irresponsible, or anti-social drinking.” The U.S. takes a looser stance, only banning false claims. Interestingly, even non-alcoholic alternatives face restrictions in the UK because of their visual “adjacency” to alcoholic products. The message? Alcohol, even by association, requires careful handling.
The Experience Gap
Experience curve of alcohol
Why don’t we talk more about the actual inebriation experience? Advertisers build idealistic onramps but ignore the complex emotional curves consumers navigate. If we mapped it out, alcohol might look something like this:
Tequila: A dramatic, thrilling climb followed by a hard crash.
Red wine: A slow rise into warmth and relaxation, marred by bumpy regrets (and a headache).
Lager: A mild, steady buzz paired with bloat and fatigue.
This gap between expectation and experience leaves us narrating our drinking stories like personal legends: the highs are exaggerated, the lows mythologized. Friends recount wild nights with a collective wink—minimizing what was, in hindsight, a hazy blur of mixed emotions.
Closing Thoughts
At Christmas, alcohol consumption becomes tradition—woven into holiday cheer. But it’s another consumer product where messaging varies so wildly. Ads frame it as a key to perfect moments, while public health campaigns warn of its dangers. In between, consumers navigate a full lifecycle of ups, downs, and everything in between.
Perhaps it’s time for a little honesty. We could acknowledge alcohol not just as festive “refreshment,” but as an experience—one that’s unpredictable, messy, and entirely human. So this festive period look at each stage of your inebriation lifecycle and imagine a version where each stage has been described as experienced.
