Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Sam Adams Octoberfest Quandry

I saw over at Beerpulse.com that Sam Adams Octoberfest is already now available for the 2013 season. That's a week earlier than last year. Normally, this would be exciting news as I've always looked forward to this seasonal beer. However, I recently learned that Boston Brewing wishes to avoid any reference to "religion or religious themes" in it's marketing. This creates a problem, as all my money has a reference to God on it, thereby limiting its use in their market.


I guess I'll wait for the release of the excellent Oktoberfest beer from Fredericksburg's own Blue & Gray Brewing.

9 comments:

  1. Why are so many people in this country such idiots?

    Thank God for the proliferation of very fine micro-breweries. Sam Adams - we don't need you anymore.

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    1. Boycott, no. I simply choose other options. :-)

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  2. Agreed. As a Catholic, it is the overall trend to neuter anything with a religious language or themes that just flat out starts to make me mad. To recognize freedom of religion and separation of state and Church is one thing. To try and make it seem like this country wasn't founded on Christian values is something different.

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    1. Indeed. Hypocrisy is using patriotism for profit, while framing it in a PC-context.

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  3. Has anyone thought to contact them for a comment before opting to shop elsewhere? As I stated in the original thread, this “commercial” was a paraphrasing, not a full read of a historical document.

    I think it’s a little less than fair to conclude this vendor has “Gone PC” without at least offering them the chance to answer the accusation.

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  4. replying to myself -- the original blaze article indicated that yes, someone contacted SA who declined comment. Ref to a beer institute policy
    http://www.beerinstitute.org/assets/uploads/BI-AdCode-5-2011.pdf

    I still like to hear a vendor’s side before taking my money elsewhere. based on the pdf, it appears that more than just SA are doing this.

    do we also boycott Trijicon?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trijicon_biblical_verses_controversy

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    1. Yes, many companies choose not to use religious themes in advertising. I am simply pointing out the hypocrisy of a company that chooses to use the Declaration of Independence for marketing purposes, and at the same time worries that the actual words are too offensive to some. That's PC. We get our rights from only two sources; God or man.

      I have nowhere called for a boycott. It's still a free country and people are free to spend their money, or not, how they see fit. I am merely suggesting that perhaps my US currency might offend Boston Brewing's PC-sensitivies.

      Trijicon removed the phrases from government weapons, not consumer. The weapons are also not historical documents being "paraphrased" in PC-manner.

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  5. This is very much like the quandary we have in patronizing a company that doesn’t support our given positions or a particular value. There is a line that is crossed for everyone which is a “no more” line.
    The tricky part is fairly applying the line and it’s something we all have to struggle with.

    I can see your point, it is kind of … no, it’s very weak to hide behind some professional organization’s “policy” on advertising given the context of the brewer’s name, their own advertising and the specific ad in question. it’s really too bad.

    It’s a little early for Octoberfest anyway. That, and there are many local options to support.

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  6. Good for Sam Adams!!!! I'm glad to see this kind of progress, I was a SA enthusiast before but now I'll be drinking it exclusively!!!!

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