This post is part of our Ads Gone Bad series. Share your thoughts and memories of this ad in the comments, and be sure to check out our other posts on marketing gone wrong.
One day long ago I found myself standing in line at the unemployment office behind a man with a t-shirt that featured a version of Da Vinci's famous painting, the Last Supper. However, in place of Jesus, Elvis sat in the center, surrounded, not by apostles, but country and western singers. Our society had been rather tolerant of parodies of this iconic painting, until the Folsom Street Fair went over the line, taking its sponsor, Miller Beer, with it.
The San Francisco fair is the culminating event of "Leather Pride Week," and the poster advertising showed a group in Last Supper pose, garbed (scantily) in leather, including dominatrix, a man in a leather dog mask, and many pec and bountiful bosoms. As you might imagine, the image didn't travel well beyond the SF city limits, and particularly offended the Catholic League, which launched a boycott of Miller Beer.
The League would not be appeased with a simple apology, either; it wanted contrition, for Miller to issue a condemnation of the more unsavory activities associated with the event. Miller moved quickly to remove its name from the poster and the event, and issued a statement, part of which read, "we are aware of other disrespectful activities, objects and groups association with or present at the fair which, like the promotional poster, violate our marketing policies."
After receiving this mea culpa, the League gave Miller Beer absolution for its transgression, setting it free to go and sin no more.
From my embarrassed peek at the Folsom Street Fair home site (definitely not safe for work; I won't post the link here, so you'll have to Google if you just have to see), I didn't see any major sponsors that had stepped up to take over Miller's spot.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-07-2008 @ 5:47PM
amy said...
Our local party store quit selling Miller beer until the apology came thru...good for them....even my 94 yr. old gramma quit drinking her Miller High Life because of this ad.
9-08-2008 @ 12:26PM
John said...
In a free society, there's nothing wrong with gay people being portrayed in advertising campaigns, but is it necessary to poke a finger in the eye of someone's religion at the same time by mocking one of their icons? Yes, I know that the Catholic church has opposed legal efforts to give gay people the same rights the rest of us take for granted, but does an ad like this do anyone any good?
9-08-2008 @ 5:41PM
JimOhio said...
A person must put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior for the forgiveness of their sins to become a Christian. Once a person becomes a Christian, they should confess their sins to God.
The Catholic church does not have any power to forgive sin.
9-08-2008 @ 7:19PM
JimOhio12 said...
The Catholic church does not have any power to forgive sin.
The Catholic church does not have any power to forgive sins.
JimOhio
9-08-2008 @ 8:45PM
Larry said...
Oh, lighten up.
Devout christians mock every other religious belief by belittling their values. the majority of the world has different beliefs, so why should the media be controlled by this minority?
It is a clever ad, a satire on a painting. I am disappointed that the company backed down. Then again, it is not a very good beer, so let's hope that amy's granny realized that miller high life is like making love in a canoe (f#@king close to water.)
9-09-2008 @ 2:01PM
WiserNow said...
This is just so laughable that people would get SO upset over an ad for a local event that is promoted as an "alternative" form of entertainment when these same people have NO PROBLEM with the entire commercialization of the symbolism of "Christmas". Why is it O.K. to put ads of Victoria's Secret models in skimpy Santa suits to portray celebrating Christ's "birthday" but ,get all huffed up over this ad? Don't like the ad, buy another brand of beer...Jeez, lighten up, already!!!
9-27-2008 @ 5:14PM
Jan said...
WiserNow could not have summed it up any better. Many Catholics are hippocrites, They tried to raise me to believe that non-Catholics are anti Christian. Sorry------------my dad was non Catholic and taught me to be open minded and respectful of all others even if I did not agree with them or their beliefs.
10-25-2008 @ 8:31AM
Jim said...
Get over it. It's okay for Catholics do condemn being gay, but gay can't condemn Catholics? Gays are by nature gay. They are born that way. Catholicism is just a man-made brainwashing religion. I thought the ad was very funny.
10-25-2008 @ 8:56AM
George said...
JimOhio, I am just going to say this. Jesus gave his Apostles the authority to administer the Sacrament of Reconcilliation (John 20:21-23) as well as writings from the early Church dated since 70 A.D. I would also point out that the company would nevere get away with it if it involved the Jews or Islamics.
10-25-2008 @ 12:26PM
Get Fuzzy said...
You homophobic people are ignorantly ridiculous! This add is great! And it's not a "Miller Add" it's a Folsom add. Miller just had its name put on it because they WANTED to sponsor the event! I am sure Miller knows very well what Folsom is- what any event is! - before agreeing to be a sponsor.
And I will not be drinking Miller again if they cave to such intolerance and do not stand up for things that they obviously had no problems with before. Not that I liked drinking yellow water before, but now I have a reason besides "it doesn't even taste like beer" to tell people when they ask.
10-26-2008 @ 9:27AM
Brandilyn said...
Wisernow made a great comment. WHy do they have no problems with VS clad bikini models in Santa suits? I do see how some may be offended because it is The Last Supper I have no problems with they gay community either. Come on though the last supper That is a very special painting noone should deface it in anyway. Why point out that they are gay or have sexual fetishes? I think it is wrong to use that portrait. George that is awesome that you believe that but the Catholics DO NOT have the power to forgive sins. Yes he did give his disciples the authority. Catholics take it too far! I am a very religious person and beleive the ONLY way to forgive your sins is through GOD,our Lord. Not some silly church. Jim how dare you say that Catholicism is a man made brainwashing religion. Our Lord gave each disciple the authority to practice his laws. Each disciple chose their own religion to pass the laws down. Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, etc. If you say that they are a brainwashing religion then you must believe that they all are. Which is a shame. I have visited several different churches to find where I belong. They all believe the one important fact that matters most.............Jesus died for our sins and belief in him is the ONLY way to heaven. I think maybe you need to do a little more research before you put down someones religious beliefs.
10-26-2008 @ 11:44AM
Luvvi said...
Wow, no wonder this country is having such problems. You guys really need to learn to focus and stay on a topic.
1) Catholics would have no problem with Victoria's Secret models wearing Santa suits because....read this carefully now....Santa has nothing to do with a Catholic (or even Christian) Christmas. That's part of the whole commericalization of Christmas....which some dumb bunny decided to blend with a Catholic saint - though they bastardized his story to get it closer to what the general population wanted.
2) If Miller didn't know what Folsom was about, they shouldn't have agreed to be a sponsor. Sheesh, you'd think a corporation would do due diligence before signing a sponsorship agreement in this day and age! And before someone signed that sponsorship agreement, they should have made sure it stated that they had the right to review and approve any ad/material with their name/logo on it.
3) If they did agree to it, shame on them for bailing so fast.
4) I can see why Catholics would be offended by this a bit. At first glance, it hits the "sacreligious" button. But then the Elvis T-shirt mentioned in the ad would as well. Some could feel it mocks the Catholic faith. I will mention that some may feel the Jesus-on-the-dashboard may mock the Catholic faith, though I don't believe that's typically the intent. It wouldn't kill folks, though, to be a bit more thoughtful of others' beliefs. Not just Catholic, either...
5) Folsom advertisers should have been a little smarter, I think. If you are coordinating an event for a segment of society that wants to promote tolerance, you probably shouldn't use ads that poke the religion bear....or any other. They should have been more creative.
10-26-2008 @ 1:08PM
Gray said...
Good Grief! Religionists are offended by everything. Da Vinci's fresco of the fictional event is only one of many, and the monks even cut a door thru is centuries ago. That didn't offend anyone. Get the chip off your shoulder Catholics. You guys are doing just fine.
11-18-2008 @ 9:44PM
Dr. LeonoreMGD said...
There was more to the "fake" Leonardo Da Vinci than noted in this article. In that depiction, sex articles on the table replaced the original ones.
Most telling of the intent of the creators, the bread and wine--which Catholics believe were first transubstantiated, becoming the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ at the First Mass depicted in the Leonardo painting--were so replaced.
Catholics were upset because this offended God. By the doctrine of Circumincession, or Divine Perichoresis, when one Person of the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is present and acting, so also are the oher two Persons.
Miller did not bail out quickly. The Catholic League was forced to complain loudly and clearly more than once. Catholics instituted a boycott against the company.
No organization has done more--medically, personally, psychologically--for persons suffering from AIDS than has the Catholic Church.
But to approve of the homosexual lifestyle would not only be incompatible with the beliefs of the Church, it would be falsely compassionate, encouraging some people to continue to damage their souls.
God loves each human being, born and unborn, and so does the Church.
Most Catholics have been very poorly taught their religion. Please don't judge the Church by some of its members and their ideas. Sadly, this caveat applies to some few priests and even bishops.
I invite you to learn about my Faith.
Kindly respect my Catholic religion and the religions of others.
11-19-2008 @ 11:24AM
Pat said...
Maybe the ad would have been better received if they had used actors to portray the recent pedophile priests scandal. THAT is something to get offended about! THAT is a good reason to leave the church who thinks it has all the answers and claims to be THE church founded by Jesus. Since this didn't happen until almost 200 years after his death, that is, indeed, a miracle!