As part of the never-ending quest to equate drinking beer with adrenaline-packed adventure, a local ad company has stepped over the line of acceptable content. Literally.
In a TV spot focused on winter sports, viewers are asked to equate outright stupidity with bravery by depicting out-of-bounds skiing as an ultra-cool activity.
“Will you brave going out of bounds?” taunts a jaunty voice, as a group of young 20-something adventurers decide to whizz on by a large sign with “Out of Bounds” prominently stamped on it. Because it’s TV, they safely swoosh to a big flat clearing where a waiting helicopter whisks them away – presumably to beer-fuelled celebration.
Unlike too many of those who try this stunt for real, they’re not lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of a cliff or waiting hypothermic at the bottom of a waterfall.
Not surprisingly, North Shore Rescue is none too pleased with this campaign. It’s aimed at the same demographic local rescuers are most often called out to save and it’s giving them all the wrong messages.
The ad was put together by a Vancouver-based company, so they don’t have the excuse of ignorance.
If Coors is out to create a brand associated with poor choices that aims to prove Darwin correct, then the company has succeeded.
We’d suggest that real bravery in the mountains isn’t demonstrated by idiotic behaviour like this but by the members of North Shore Rescue who often have to head out after them.
We’d also suggest a sizable donation from Coors to the Tim Jones Legacy Fund would be in order, to counteract some of the damage done.
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