The college years are generally considered the time when young consumers set their brand preferences for alcohol. "If you're going to attract a new group to your brand that has a chance of sticking over a lifetime, the college years are crucial," notes USC sociology professor Barry Glassner. Plus, college students spend a cumulative $231 billion.

However, beer, wine, and spirits companies are facing pressure to reform their marketing to college students, with some critics calling for an outright ban on advertising. In response, alcohol firms have dropped some of their more controversial marketing campaigns.

The front line in the battle over alcohol advertising has become TV ads for college sports. The NCAA already limits such ads to 60 seconds per broadcast hour, and requires such ads to have a "responsible drinking" tagline. Some critics, however, have called on the NCAA to ban alcohol ads completely, saying many viewers of college sports are underage.

While the majority of college undergrads are of legal drinking age, the average age of students living on campus is 20. Beer makers, in particular, are worried about losing young drinkers, many of whom have turned in recent years to distilled-spirits products.

But the beer industry's desire to appeal to college students has sometimes backfired. Budweiser, for example, had to drop its sponsorship of "beer pong" tournaments after accusations that the game promotes binge drinking. In many cases, alcohol companies are now driving their marketing through promotions at local bars, leaving bar owners with the responsibility of screening out underage patrons. Giveaways of logo products are usually a big part of such promotions.

"Beer companies and liquor companies have money, and they have no trouble flaunting it," said bar manager Ed Hrichak. "It's all brand recognition, and they'll put their name on anything to do it."

Seeking to avoid more problems with its youth marketing, Anheuser-Busch has consulted with former attorneys general from New York and Mississippi. The company also has awarded grants to colleges to promote moderate drinking and deter underage use. But that doesn't satisfy critics like J. Edward Hill, president of the American Medical Association, who says such campaigns create "a perception that justifies drinking."

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