need to campaign against a commercial
I don't know how many people have seen it, but there is a commercial up here for "Stella Artois" beer where a man trains his pet pig to do tricks, loves his pig, etc etc, then trades his pet to a barkeeper for a glass of beer. It is then implied (no graphic details but gross all the same) the barkeeper slaughters the pig and serves it to his customers.
Here is an email I wrote to them:
"To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing to you today to voice my opinion over your recent commerical with the man who trains his pet pig to jump through a ring of fire, and then trades his pet for a glass of beer.
I am truly disgusted with this advertisement. The human/animal bond is something that is meant to be cherished, and it certainly is not "tradeable" for an intoxicating substance. This kind of ad promotes the idea that animals and pets are merely disposable and not meant to be treated humanely. I work as a veterinary assistant and I see the result of animals who are considered merely property or treated with neglect, and the results are heartbreaking and tragic. For your company to use this ad makes you dispicable and you ought to be ashamed.
I will never buy another labatt product again, and I will be sure that no one that I know will either. You may think this ad is humourous, but you are running the risk of losing a huge market - people who love animals and keep them as members of their families. Perhaps you want to reconsider such a marketing strategy."
and of course, the "form" response:
"Thank you for your note regarding Stella Artois. We in no way intend to offend anyone with this TV advertisement. Stella Artois is a beer that traces its roots back to 1366 in Belgium. Its advertising has always stood out by using storytelling and epic themes to reinforce the heritage behind the beer and this year's campaign is no different.
The campaign is centered around the theme "perfection has its price" and the supporting elements of the campaign articulate the great lengths that people will go to for Stella Artois.
In this particular ad, we attempted to clearly portray the pig farmer in a historical, fictional situation (hence the rural setting, clothing, music, etc). The supporting elements of the campaign are reflective of the era and attitudes when Stella Artois was first brewed.
At Labatt, our marketing is often fun and edgy. We apologize if this ad was offensive to some people.
Best regards,
Cynthia
InBev Customer Service"
The email I wrote to them was [email protected] and they got back to me very quickly. Please write to them about this gross commercial and get them to take it off the air.
