Final answer:
If young consumers see whiskey marketing attempts as irrelevant due to their perception of whiskey as an 'old person's drink,' a disconnect occurs, leading the campaign to miss its intended influence on purchasing behavior. Such a scenario demands a re-evaluation of advertising strategies to align with the actual beliefs and values of the targeted audience.
Step-by-step explanation:
If young consumers saw these attempts to influence their purchasing behaviour as ridiculous because they believe whiskey to be an old person's drink, they would miss the advertising message the manufacturers hoped to send. The desired effect of the ad campaign, which is to encourage young people to purchase whiskey by altering their perceptions and associating it with traits they value like youthfulness or coolness, would not occur. Instead, this misalignment between the marketing strategy and the consumers' beliefs would highlight a phenomenon where the advertising content loaded with messages intended to shape purchasing preferences is ineffective due to a disconnect with the audience's perceptions and values.
In essence, what would have occurred is a disconnect between the marketing campaign's intent and the audience's reaction, rendering the attempts to shift public perception of whiskey from an 'old person's drink' to a beverage enjoyed by the youth unsuccessful. This could lead to the need for a reassessment and revision of advertising strategies to better align with the target demographic's views and values.