As I write this article, the province of Ontario has been pushing a buck a beer promotion that has ultimately fizzled: only three brewers out of a couple of hundred signed up for the initiative and, a week later, the largest player has already announced plans to stop participating.
Alcohol promotions can be fraught with peril. Although the impetus in this case came from the newly elected premier of the province, the liquor landscape is littered with companies that have brought forward ideas that are perhaps less than well thought out. It has been a baffling year for booze promotions, as companies flirt with provocative names and often offensive promotions that were recalled soon after they were released.
The Handmaid’s Tale wines made a splash when they were announced in June by lot18.com and MGM, continuing the tradition of television themed alcohol to be enjoyed, presumably, when watching gory material becomes a bit much. And it’s easy to see how the initial concept of tying an alcoholic beverage to a popular television show may have seemed like an easy cash in (witness the success of Brewery Ommegang’s Game of Thrones collaborations, now on its eighth release). The…execution, as you will, of the rollout was a trifle more problematic, once details were revealed about the wine descriptions themselves, such as “a powerful experience you will never forget”.
“Yes, the show goes down easier with a healthy pour. But maybe not one memorialized with the white bonnet and “Of-insert-husband’s-name” formulations that viewers associate with torture and tyranny,” wrote Jake Nevins in an article called “Is The Handmaid's Tale wine collection the worst tie-in ever?” in The Guardian.
In comparison, the The Last Blockbuster celebrating the last location of the famously defunct chain seems mild. Brewed by Bend, Oregon’s 10 Barrel Brewing and to be released in September at the local Blockbuster site, the beer supposedly “pairs perfectly with buttery theater popcorn and your favorite movie-sized chocolate with a light body, smooth finish, and hints of nostalgia,” according to a press release. The marketing behind the beer could be interpreted as a homage to a beloved brand of yesteryear, but also seems like an odd way to describe the bankruptcy and demise of a company that pushed smaller stores out of the market, became irrelevant due to new technology and left thousands of people out of work.
Sometimes, the issue can be a little more nuanced. A case in Edmonton, Alberta, caused the removal of Hammer+Sickle vodka from shelves after the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and local politicians decried the product as offensive to those of Ukrainian heritage. And Belgian brewer Brouwerij Huyghe’s Delerium Tremens beer ran afoul of the LCBO in 2004 due to the nature of its name and the connotation of withdrawal symptoms, although the beer is now available within the province.
When it comes to alcohol, although it is impossible to guarantee that a product will never cause offense, it does help if the manufacturer keeps a clear head when naming or promoting a product to avoid leaving a bad taste in the consumer’s mouth.
