Anheuser-Busch and Stolichnaya vodka distributor, William Grant & Sons, have objected to their labels appearing in the new Denzel Washington flick, Flight. Washington plays a high functioning alcoholic — or one of The Guys — who drinks throughout the film, including behind the wheel and while flying as an airline pilot.
“We would never condone the misuse of our products, and have a long history of promoting responsible drinking and preventing drunk driving,” Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser, wrote in a statement to distance his company from the film.
Responsible uses of Budweiser, according to sanctioned uses of their label in commercials, include: building a house out of Bud Light cans, animal husbandry and horse cart driving, picking up chicks in darkened bars, sports superstition, and drinking it for the sake of it being (in their words) “drinkable.”
As for Stoli, nothing good ever comes from drinking that. Nothing you’d tell your parents about, anyway.
But, still: good looking out for your brands’ reputations, morons. After all, bad things only happen to drunk drivers.