Flat Beer : Labatt Launches Insensitive Ad Campaign

FUR COMMISSION USA COMMENTARY, AUGUST 12, 1999
Flat Beer : Labatt Launches Insensitive Ad Campaign
Given the political climate in which we operate, fur farmers cannot afford to be too sensitive. But switching your brand of beer might be an appropriate response to a flat joke from Labatt.
Massachusetts fur farmer Jeannie Carmel first alerted us to the new television commercial from the Canadian brewery, now running in the Northeast United States, which would be quite amusing if it did not trivialize a serious issue.
The commercial features a bear on vacation in New York City.
In the least offensive scene, the bear sees a woman in a fur coat and says, “That’s nice. I’ll have to get one of those.” But later, the bear has paint thrown at him by protestors. All ends well when the bear goes into a bar where a nice lady cleans him up and buys him a beer.
Alan Herscovici of the Fur Council of Canada called Labatt’s public relations manager, Scott Quincey, to express his concern that the commercial would generate unwarranted fear among consumers of being attacked while wearing fur. Quincey’s lame response was that Labatt had not had a single consumer complaint to the toll-free number on its website!
Now that you know a toll-free number exists, make good use of it, but check out the website first. It’s as wide of the mark as the commercial.
“Think Canada,” proclaims Labatt, “and you think fresh water, salmon, lumber and clean air – but forget all that for a minute: The natural resource Canadians are proudest of is their beer.”
Well, think again, Labatt. When we think Canada, we think fur. The natural resource that made Canada is fur!
Let Labatt know that hunters, fishermen, trappers, farmers, rural and city people (fur wearers and beer consumers all!) do not appreciate ads that trivialize attacks on people or property. Call 1-800-268-2337 or contact them via their website guestbook at www.labatt.com/house/contact/default.asp or via email at comments@labattblue.com.
And heh, Budweiser has good beer and Clydesdales!
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