July 27, 2004

Eric H. Molson, Chairman
Molson Coors Brewing Company
1658 Cole Blvd.
Building 6, Suite 100
Golden, CO 80401

RE: “Friends” ad campaign

Dear Mr. Molson:

We are writing to register a complaint regarding a Molson advertising campaign currently running on the Web and in several young men’s magazines published in the USA. The “Friends” campaign provides fake business cards, wallet photos and stickers intended to help men deceive women. The ads tell men to use these props to appear more successful and sensitive when trying to get to know the women that the ads describe as “sexy gals” or “hotties.”

Far from meeting contemporary standards of good taste, these ads are offensive, cynical and irresponsible. The “Friends” ads depict men as dishonest losers and women as dense and easily fooled. The campaign trivializes the contributions and sacrifices made by real community volunteers by offering stickers that read, “blood donor,” and “I taught a child to read today!” By endorsing deception in order to “start a conversation that really goes somewhere” Molson promotes lying as the first step in making “friends”.

A related Molson billboard campaign has already established that the difference between friends and “friends” is sex. There is no doubt that the ultimate goal of the deceptions suggested in these ads is getting one of those “sexy gals” or “hotties” into bed. Given the strong association between alcohol and sexual assault, I am surprised that you would want to associate your product with trickery that is just a few steps removed from date rape. What’s next, a primer on stalking?

We urge you to immediately withdraw the “Friends” campaign and issue an apology for creating this insulting, irresponsible and potentially dangerous campaign that clearly violates several provisions of the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code. As Molson and Coors Brewing prepare to merge into one company, I also ask that you formally acknowledge that Molson Coors Brewing Company will adopt the Coors Advertising Complaint Evaluation process and abide by the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code in the future.

Sincerely,

Mark Pertschuk, Executive Director, The Marin Institute

Joe Kelly, President,Dads and Daughters

cc:
W. Leo Kiely III, CEO,
Molson Coors Brewing Company
Janet Evans, Federal Trade Commission
The Beer Institute