I read an article in the Toronto Sun yesterday about some controversy relating to an advertisement that Labatt is using at select Mac's Convenience Stores, and I can't help but agree with Labatt's on this one.The controversy has to do with Labatt's de-alcoholized beer and a quote on the ad, Leave one out for Santa. He's driving. The Sun reports that some consumers aren't happy with the ad as it promotes the wrong message about drinking and driving. The article quotes Alan Middleton, a marketing professor at the Schulich School of Business at York University, who has takes a strong stance on the ad. "They're positioning that you can have a beer and you're still safe to drive, but they can't control how many of those 0.5pc beers people consume. "They thought being this lower alcohol would get them off the hook, but I don't think it does. This is a silly ad and if they've got a decent product, it should be powerful enough." How many would you have to drink to drive under the influence? Anyone know?
Labatt's responded by saying it's a simple message about not drinking and driving. "It's reminding people, especially during this holiday season, when people are going out to celebrate, not to drink and drive.... Some of the posters direct people to makingaplan.ca, which is a website to plan ahead and reinforcing people not to drink and drive," said Catherine Pringle, corporate affairs manager of Labatt Breweries. I agree. I actually think the ad is quite clever (taste of beer aside).
But what about the children. My god, the children. What will they think when they see the ad? They can't buy the stuff. Dad probably ain't drinking the stuff, and if it ended up with the milk and cookies for some reason pity the fool who'll put it down the gullet.
The most surprising thing about this is not that people are upset, but that MADD Canada doesn't have a problem with it. Doesn't MADD have a problem with anything associated to any alcohol? Even 0.5%?
**Pic from the Toronto Sun**
9 comments:
Professor Middleton should get his facts right before he goes off on an anti-alcohol rant. The truth is that most containers of orange juice found in people's fridges contain 0.5% alcohol, or even more if it's been sitting around long enough. And the reason Labatt 0.5% is sold in Mac's stores is because it can be purchased and consumed by kids, because it won't get them drunk!
Even the crackpots at MADD know better than to take on this tempest in a teapot. The bottom line is that you can have this 0.5% alcohol beer and be safe to drive. Period.
Stephen - the AGCO states that individuals must be of age to purchase 0.5% beers at grocery stores and convenience stores. The woman I spoke with stated that clerks must check id and should not sell to anyone under 19.
So that's why missing the orange juice is like a day without sunshine!
If Santa drank a 0.5% beer at every house he drops gifts off he'd be in trouble pretty quick, regardless of the low ABV.
That's new since my columns on non-alks then, Troy. I must say I'm surprised, but with all the alcohol hysteria we see these days, I suppose I shouldn't be.
And I guess Rob is right if we use the premise that Santa delivers to every house and home the world over in a single night, but for mortals such as we, you'd have to drink 10 0.5% beers to equal the alcohol of a single regular strength brew. And given that the average man can drink one standard beer per hour and remain sober, that's a hell of a lot of liquid if you want to get drunk. Like significantly over 4 litres per hour!
If MADD Canada isn't upset, surely that's only because they just haven't heard about it yet; when they do, their response will be predictable as ever...
Will S - the article features a quote from MADD that states that they have no problem with the ad... That's what I find so odd.
I agree with Troy on this one, but if I was Santa and was left a Labatt 0.5% sitting next to a pile of cookies, I'd feel pretty pissed off. Who the f*ck wants to drink a Labatt 0.5% anyway?!!!!??
Mig's right - Santa's more of a stout guy.
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