Rewriting the rules or playing the game? An investigation into the ways in which social norms around gender & drinking are challenged &/or reinforced through the promotion, marketing & consumption of Alcohol-Free drinks

This project aims to investigate the ways in which contemporary ‘alcohol-free’ (AF) beverages are both marketed and consumed in the UK, using a case study approach focusing on the AF beer Heineken (‘now you can’ campaign) and AF spirit Seedlip (‘drink to the future’ campaign). The project seeks to explore how these products are promoted and marketed and consumed by both drinkers and non-drinkers, and how this links to any stereotypes around gender and drinking, and drinking more widely. I aim to explore whether these campaigns and consumer practices adopt particular ‘health’ claims, challenge/reinforce norms around gender and drinking and might reduce and/or perpetuate alcohol-related harm. Such research is important as there are currently no restrictions on how AF products can be marketed and promoted, and little research has been carried out in this area despite the recent surge in popularity of AF drinks and the emergence of dedicated marketing campaigns to promote them in the UK and more widely.