Drink Fri Jan 11 2008

Beer Ads and Beer Pedicures

Jezebel pointed me to an article in Portfolio by Lew Byrson encouraging beer companies to begin considering women as part of their marketing demographic. Women reportedly make up at least a quarter of beer drinkers these days, yet marketing campaigns from major breweries still continue to predominately show woman serving beer or flanking male beer drinkers.

But lest you think that beer companies completely ignore women, according to the article, "[Women] are supposedly the reason beer comes in six-packs rather than eight-packs--a sixer was presumed to be as much weight as a woman would feel comfortable carrying in one hand." [!]

Most of my female friends and I love beer, though we typically stick to smaller, higher quality breweries. While I will never be a Bud Light or Coors drinker, I am surprised that these major companies have yet to make a real effort to court female drinkers. (Though, I am by no means suggesting that sexist advertising is entirely unique to beer companies.)

Apparently at Chicago's Exsalonance Salon, you can get a beer pedicure. The salon claims that the enzymes and hops in the beer help reduce calluses.

I think I will stick to drinking my beer.

- Gemma