Managers and the Legal Environment 7th Edition by David Madsen, Constance Bagley

Exercise 6

A class-action lawsuit is filed against a number of alcoholic beverage producers, asserting that the defendants target underage consumers in a manner that is "deliberate, reckless, and illegal," and that such actions constitute unfair, deceptive, and unconscionable practices in violation of state consumer protection statutes and are negligent. The plaintiffs claim that the defendants use advertisements and marketing campaigns that are likely to appeal to minors, because the ads employ video games and animation, attractive models, and social situations and humor with which minors can identify. Could the companies be found liable for targeting a youthful audience? Should they be? What moral responsibility, if any, do the companies have? [Hakki v. Zima Co., 2006 WL 852126 (D.C. Super. 2006), aff ' d, 926 A.2d 722 (D.C. App. 2007).]