| Coors Saves Time You know the old drinker's saying that it is always 5 o'clock somewhere? Coors is turning back the clock seven minutes in an effort to turn the clock forward when it comes to reaching consumers through new media. Coors Light , a division of Molson, is planning an interactive initiative, scheduled to start in mid- April, that promotes 4:53 p.m. as the new 5 o'clock. At 4:53 p.m. local time on weekdays, the Coors Light brand symbol, an old- fashioned train called the Silver Bullet, will race across entertainment, news and sports Web sites that are frequently visited by the brand's core audience of men aged 21 to 34. The train's brief onscreen appearance will be followed by an invitation to "Catch the 4:53 to Happy Hour" and a "Happy Hour Countdown" clock, both in onscreen spaces devoted to advertising. The campaign, by the Portland, Oregon, office of Avenue A/Razorfish,will also include maps displaying the locations of nearby bars and lounges serving Coors Light. The 4:53 initiative will be preceded by new television commercials for Coors Light. The spots feature the train rushing across the screen to deliver batches of Coors Light, described in a new theme line as "the world's most refreshing beer." Sure it is....but only for those who really think any of this makes even a little sense. |
| Bud Wins Another Round Another round in the century long dispute between Anheuser-Busch . and Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar is settled, with the win going this time to the American beer-maker. Anheuser-Busch said Wednesday that an Italian appeals court ruled in its favor, ordering cancellation of three registered trademarks held by Budejovicky Budvar, two for Budweiser Budbrau and one for Budweiser Budvar. The companies have been involved in a dispute for more than a century over rights to the Budweiser name. The dispute continues to be settled in courts throughout Europe. The companies are involved in about 40 lawsuits worldwide. The dispute has spilled over to Asia, too. In October, Budejovicky Budvar was able to get its trademark registered in China despite a legal challenge from Anheuser-Busch. The move gave the Czech brewer the right to sell its lager in the fast-growing Chinese market for the first time. Budejovicky Budvar was founded in 1895 in Ceske Budejovice — called Budweis by the German-speaking people who populated the area at the time. Beer has been brewed there since 1265. The founders of Anheuser-Busch used the name Budweiser for their product because it was well-known in their German homeland. The St. Louis brewery got its start in 1852. It began producing Budweiser, America's first national beer brand, in 1876. Among other recent legal rulings, the Czechs won judgments in Portugal and Finland, while Anheuser-Busch has won in Swedish and Hungarian courts. |
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| Cattle on 40 pints a day of beer A Cornish farmer is believed to be the first in the county to experiment with breeding cattle on beer. The Limousin herd at Woodland Farm in Fentonadle are given up to 40 pints of local brew a day as part of their enviable diet. And they even get a massage to help produce the speciality Kobe-style beef, based on traditional Japanese production methods. Farmer Darren Pluess says the cattle are not harmed by the diet. "They are completely happy and they do like drinking beer," he said. "Beer is basically, hops, water and barley which are consistent with their diet anyway. "We have problems digesting it, but they are ruminants and it suits them better." Mr Pluess's wife Katy said Saturday night could get a bit rowdy. "If they don't have enough and they run out, when we bring the beer in they get incredibly excited and run riot. I don't think they're alcoholics because they do have water as well if they want, but they certainly do enjoy it." The result is fatty well-marbled beef with burgers from the herd fetching up to L40 each in London restaurants. Thousand Dollar Beer A $1,000 ticket for holding a cup of beer outdoors at a St. Patrick's Day parade? Apparently, that's what happened to hundreds of people celebrating the holiday in Hoboken, New Jersey, where police reportedly cracked down on public partying at the city's March 3rd St. Patrick's Day parade. More than 560 tickets were issued for various offenses. |
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