Ethanol Activism: Discursive and Advertising Calls to the Consumption of Propagandistic Beers

This article examines the discursive strategies of consumption solicitation on craft beer labels that referenced the 2022 Brazilian presidential elections. Drawing on the theoretical and methodological assumptions of the French-line discourse approach, the labels of the breweries Rock n’ Bräu, Mito, Vapor Negro, and Hey Ho, produced between January and September 2022 and disseminated on websites and social media, were analysed. The study aims to understand how these labels function as rallying cries and performative utterances that associate drinking with forms of political and moral engagement, producing what is termed “effigial consumption”. The results indicate that the brands mobilise discourses of political belonging, irony, and candidate celebration, transforming the label into a space for ideological expression and the circulation of civic affects. It is concluded that pamphlet-style beers exemplify a movement towards the politicisation of consumer objects, in which advertising communication acts as a symbolic mediator between consumption and public participation. The article contributes to the field of advertising communication by demonstrating how small-scale brands can intervene in political debate through creative branding and discourse strategies, expanding the boundaries between advertising, culture, and politics.