Miller Brewing = Judas?
So i had the joy of witnessing what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel labeled as the 2nd best Brewer game of the season’s first half. But as sweet as that 13-4 drubbing of the Cubs was , I was soured by the betrayal I witnessed across the street, behind the right field bleachers. There, in the former spot of the Torco sign, stood a billboard sponsored by Miller Brewing which read, “We Prefer Pennant Chases to Sausage Races.” I couldn’t belive it. Before my very eyes, Miller Brewing, which has called Milwaukee home for over 150 years, had a paid advertisement demeaning the team whose house bears its name. I was enraged. So enraged that I fired off this email to Miller Brewing.
I’m concerned over the choice in advertising Miller chose to make recently in Chicago, IL. During a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers, whose home field is named for Miller beer, Miller ran an advertisement on a billboard that the whole stadium could see which read, “We prefer penant chases to sausage races.” This was obviously a shot at the tradition at Miller Park where life-sized sausages race around the track in between innings. I could not understand why Miller would take a shot at the team from its hometown and the team whose home is named after Miller, especially at a game at which many Milwaukee Brewers fans were in attendance. I found this to be terrible marketing and i’m very disappointed in Miller for its poor advertising choice.
The game was on Saturday, June 30th. Today, July 11th, I received this response:
Thank you for your recent email to Miller Brewing Company.Miller Brewing Company fully supports the Milwaukee Brewers. The sign that was posted at Wrigley Field for the Cubs Brewers series was not meant to offend the Milwaukee Brewers or the sausage races at Miller Park. The intent of the sign was just to create friendly debate among Brewers and Cubs fans about two teams who are both at the top of their division for the first time in many years. Miller Brewing Company agrees with all Brewers supporters that we would like to see our home team - not the Cubs — in the pennant race. Thanks again for contacting the Miller Brewing Company. Sincerely,Miller Brewing Company Consumer Affairs Department
Ref: Case#N20030769
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I’m sorry Miller, but anything short of a full apology and promise to refrain from such blasphemy in the future is unacceptable. Your words are but an empty can of Sharps to me.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Bravo! “Empty can of Sharps” has to be one of the best pieces of blog posting these internets have seen! Miller’s response has the putrid smell of a form letter, which no doubt was drafted to have an easy response to the many emails and letters they are sure to receive. Friendly debate?? There should be no debate if they truly feel the Brewers are their “home team”. They should have taken a potshot at the Cubs in their own city. Now THAT would have etched their loyalty in stone. Dare I say that a (gulp) fine beachwood-aged Budweiser sounds a bit more palatable to me than it did a month ago.