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April 16, 2004 #
 Rheingold Cowboy You have to admire the CEO of Rheingold Brewing Company, Tom Bendheim, for his populist effort to repeal the smoking ban in NYC bars. If not for cigarette-butting heads with Mayor Bloomberg, then at least for a great marketing strategy guaranteed to garner press. NY1 reports on the story that has everyone from Williamsburg to the Lower East Side craving in their boots. In his own words, Bendheim speaks on behalf of his customer base, "we want to see us all take back New York." Fair enough but make sure to watch the news clip for Bloomberg's classic body shot on the quality of the beer too. The commercial spots debut this week (presumably with a budget that allows for ad buys beyond cable access shows) and feature hip, ashtray-toting young Turks demanding the right to smoke in city bars. Bless. It's quite the pièce de défiance. Surely lung cancer victims are now rolling joints in their graves. But don't mistake Rheingold as a shill for the tobacco industry, they also tackle other "quality of life" issues like cabaret laws and sitting on milk crates. Powerful stuff. I wonder what Rheingold plans to campaign for in the future as the self-appointed agent provocateurs of social change. I have some suggestions: * bring back alcohol in the workplace * gay marriage * affordable housing * right to carry firearms * full-frontal public nudity * universal healthcare * legalization of coke dens * turning Times Square back into a whore-infested hell hole * construction of the 2nd Avenue subway line to Houston St Seriously, fuck that 96th to 72nd mini-line proposal nonsense. Who does that serve? Shuttling UES fratboys between the two Brother Jimmy's locations and the elderly who need a lift to Eli Zabar's? TAKE THE FUCKIN' BUS! (Sorry, tangent on the loose and barreling out of control...) Anyway, props to David Gordon Green (director of George Washington and All the Real Girls) who did the spots. It's good stuff to watch. I don't know if this is coincidence or not, but two friends/ex-roommates of mine, Mike Tully and Craig Zobel are featured in the commercials. They are very close with DGG as well, but really, I know the casting process is highly objective. Full Disclosure: When Rheingold re-launched in the summer of 2002 I was one of the original "brand ambassadors." This meant a group of us periodically met at East Village bars to drink free beer and discuss the product with company reps. We were able to offer comments on taste and bottle/can design. I'm not sure the CEO appreciated it when I told him it's a good summer drink - light, cheap, and easy to throw back eight in a night - like PBR, Blatz, Milwaukee's Best, or Baltimore's Natty Boh. Archives "The Other Page" powered by Removable Hype. RSS. Copyright © 2003 La Otra Página, Inc. All nights observed. Feel free to email "info(at)krucoff.com" for questions, comments, stock tips, and family gossip. |
