News Release - MillerCoors Under Fire for Raunchy, Soft Porn Ads for Controversial "Sparks" Energy BrewSponsored Videos on Heavy.com Aimed at 18+ Violate Industry�s Voluntary Advertising Code
WASHINGTON�Megabrewer MillerCoors is coming under fresh fire for advertising its caffeinated alcoholic drink Sparks with web videos that portray drug use, explicit sexual content, misogyny, and that otherwise exude general raunchiness. The company was already under investigation by state attorneys general and the target of a civil lawsuit filed earlier this week by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The video series, which casts men with dwarfism in a parody of HBO�s Entourage, is sponsored by Sparks, framed by ads for Sparks, and has cans of Sparks placed throughout two of the three episodes available on the Heavy.com web site. CSPI today notified the Beer Institute and the Federal Trade Commission that the "Tiny Entourage" ads violate the letter of the industry's voluntary marketing code and will serve as an important test of how, or whether, the industry can continue to self-regulate.
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