A B.C. billboard campaign for Coors beer is being pulled after area Torontonians were offended by the ad.
About 30 billboards scattered across the province boldly state Coors Light is "colder than most people from Toronto."
Adam Moffat, Molson brand and marketing public relations manager, said a handful of offended customers e-mailed to complain.
But, when a Toronto newspaper reported on the billboards yesterday, a public relations firestorm erupted.
"Landing in the newspaper today has really been the spark of the debate and it really has become quite heated," Moffat said.
He added, the idea for the "light-hearted" and "cheeky" campaign came from "insight gleaned from people in the west."
Coors pulled the plug on the 16-week campaign, which was scheduled to run until Sept. 4, in the face of backlash from customers living in Toronto.
"Sometimes we get it wrong," Moffat said. "This is one instance where we misfired and we realized that after seeing people's reaction here in Toronto."
Dharm Makwana reports for Vancouver 24 hours.
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Maurice Cardinal
2 years ago
Practice what you preach
Excerpt from Molson's Blog rules;
http://blog.molson.com/community/how-this-blog-brews/
"Do not post anything that could offend another member of the community. Anything containing profanity, sexually graphic, or offensive language, etc. will be deleted. We do not allow harassing, threatening, racist, abusive, hateful, violent, or obscene language or behavior. Molson will decide (in its sole discretion) what is inappropriate for this blog. If you have complaints or questions regarding any of the content posted on this blog, please contact us."
. . . end of excerpt
Practice what you preach Molson.
If you're still looking for definitions of cold, try this;
Cold is ignoring thousands of alcoholics and addicts in the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver. Molson helped get them that way. Why don't they do something good for our community and lay out a few million dollars to help get them better.
Your "Cold campaign" is unbefitting of an Olympic sponsor, but then again, maybe it epitomizes what the IOC has become.
deeby
2 years ago
From the Sun....
"The irony is that the advertising campaign was devised by Toronto-based advertising agency Draftfcb and didn't involve anyone in B.C."]
So, a company with its head office on Bay St. uses a TO add firm to create an add campaign dissing Toronto. Meanwhile, the Star and various CanWest papers cash in on the frenzy and try and get Canadians yelling at one another.
Great examples of corporate citizenship everyone....
lary waldman
2 years ago
it is very noisy out there
"There is no such thing as bad publicity", can't remember who said it, but from experience I know it is true. Unless Coors / Molsons is under siege from thousands of Torontonians, I would suggest that it was a mistake to remove the ads, which did break through what is a very difficult current of noise these days. When your ad is picked up, and becomes news, they should by you a cake, and celebrate at the office. This notion of knuckleing under is another great miscalculation by those who are afraid to offend. If you are afraid to offend perhaps you should think of another career
Lary Waldman
puckerlips
2 years ago
Viral Beer Ad
Has anyone besides me been confused by the ad ?
I did not know that "cold" was a property of beer. I thought it was something the user added after purchase.
On reflection, perhaps "cold" is the only thing this product contains that is worth boasting about.
I haven't been to Trawna in awhile, but I bet the original complainer worked for the ad agency.
North of Hope
2 years ago
Larry
"There is no such thing as bad publicity" Spot on! you used my words and I don't remember who said it. Some say it was Brendan Behen.
ME2
2 years ago
Another quote
I think Liberace, responding to criticism of his effeminate ways, said something like this:
"I don't care what they're saying about me as long as they're saying SOMETHING - and so I'll cry all the way to the bank"