Anti-Alcohol Contest Hopes To Destroy Super Bowl Ads With Crappy Production Values

With the Super Bowl just weeks away, the people at the Marin Institute are working to prevent the beer industry, particularly Anheuser-Busch, from plying their wares during the most watched program of the year.
“Free The Bowl” is an initiative that urges the underage to submit their own commercials in opposition to beer, in order to prevent the youth of America from imbibing to early. As their logic goes, kids see commercials for beer and therefore want to drink. What’s the solution? No more beer commercials, ever.
If the ads are as slick and well-produced as the one above, Budweiser is sure to relent. Right?

“Year after year, the Super Bowl delivers a huge youth TV audience to America’s biggest beer seller, Anheuser-Busch,” stated Bruce Livingston, executive director at Marin Institute. “Sound research and common sense tell us that the more often youth are exposed to alcohol advertising, the more likely they are to drink and drink to excess. Marin Institute is excited to give youth a new channel to protest oppressive beer ads at www.FreetheBowl.com.”

“Anheuser-Busch and the National Football League (NFL) hide behind weak, ineffectual Beer Institute self-regulatory guidelines to justify exposing youth to exploitive alcohol ads,” said Michael Scippa, advocacy director at Marin Institute. “Big Alcohol turns a deaf ear to our protests, so we want them to hear compelling messages from young people who resent being targeted as new customers.”

“If Anheuser-Busch and the NFL cared less about winning corporate profits and more about public health losses, they would end the youth-damaging practice of Super Bowl beer ads,” added Livingston.

Oppressive? Come on, this is oppressive?

That’s not oppressive, that’s adorable! OK, maybe they have a point about bringing kids to alcohol with cute dogs and horseys. But the release goes on to kinda imply that alcohol advertising is to blame for the myriad of problems caused by underage drinking, including binge drinking and sexual assaults. We’re not condoning underage drinking, not by any means. But doesn’t it feel like a bit of a stretch to blame Anheuser-Busch for all that?
We know what turns us to beer…it’s called a job. By embracing the Marin Institute’s good intentions, your kids can win some pretty neat prizes, including Apple MacBook, iPod Touch and iPod Nano. If your child does jump aboard, please try to come a little stronger than the unwatchable house ad above. The message is never getting out if YouTube-savvy kids recoil at your production values.
‘FREE the BOWL(TM) From Beer Ads’ Video Contest Launched [PR Newswire]