Alcohol, one of the most consumed substances in the world. According to an article published in The Conversation, 12% of adolescents consumed their first taste of alcohol by the age of 13. Many people attribute this so socio-economic issues as well as the advertisement of alcohol. In 2012, the Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill was drafted by our Government, the bill was drafted with the aim to protect children from alcohol advertising.

The term ‘Brand Ambassador’ has been around for the longest of times, the use of the word has increased with influencer marketing taking over the online marketing space. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, of the 81% of marketers who use influencers and influencer content, 51% of those said their influencer’s content outperformed brand-created content. Influencer marketing can be a cost-effective way to reach a new, different audience – and big and small businesses can use this method.

Now, lets think clearly about this, a countries advertising laws do not apply on people’s personal social media pages. The Constitution of the Republic South Africa Act of 108 1996 provides for the freedom of expression. This means that, the ambassadors will be free to continue to post about the different brands even if the drafted bill gets passed into law. It’s a smart move if you ask me. Especially because the whole point is for people to continuously see the product, the ‘how’ is another story.

Lets have a look at some South African celebs who became alcohol brand ambassadors in the year 2021.

Russian Bear x Nadia Nakai and Blaq Diamond

Russian Bear has always been a drink for young, vibrant people. The brands collab with Braga Queen, Nadia Nakai and the Afro Pop Duo, Blaq Diamond is centered around creating unique artwork. The collab came about as a campaign called Next level, which it is a call to creators within the arts, fashion or music industry to enter to stand a chance to collab with the brands ambassadors.

JC Leroux x Dineo Langa

We all know Dineo Langa for her classy dresses and the finer things in life. Dineo recently announced that she is the brand ambassador for JC Le Roux’s premium nectar range. The Demi-sec range is available in two variants, the Nectar Demi-Sec and the Nectar Rose. We can all agree that Dineo fits well with a brand like JC Le Roux.

Bernini x Linda Mtoba

Bernini, a natural sparkling grape frizzante, the ladies drink recently announced Linda Mtoba as their brand ambassador. Most of us know this beauty for her role as Nomonde on the telenovela, The River. Linda’s latest flex is being a part of the Bernini Glow Getter Squad.

My guess is we’ll be seeing more of these collaborations, especially with the rapid growth of the online marketing space. Social media marketing is where it’s at. Chris Brogan, President of New Marketing Labs once said ”Social Media puts the “public” into PR and the “market” into marketing. ”. What is your take on the move to more brand ambassadors by alcohol bands?