''No longer 'king' of beers''
The following is a copy of an e-mail I sent to Budweiser Beer:
The Dec. 19, 2009, Stars and Stripes Iraq edition "Holiday Messages" section had a full-page Budweiser ad on the back page. It wished everybody "Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad, 'A'yad Sa'idah and Mele Kalikimaka. Under that it stated that Budweiser wishes you and yours "Happy Holidays."
Nowhere in the advertisement did it say "Merry Christmas" in English. I recognize the first two greetings as French and Spanish. The next two I have no idea and don't really care. I am grateful Budweiser spends part of their advertising budget advertising in Stars and Stripes, but couldn't your foreign owned brewery at least say "Merry Christmas" in English? Don't you know Americans (85 percent Christian) are your customer base and buy most of your beer? I know Christians complaining about this type of advertising have been called "petty," but so be it. Put a capital P on that word and you have a couple pretty good race car drivers and good Christians at that, so I am honored.
Last year there was a big stink when Lowe's was selling Navidad trees in Spanish but selling Holiday trees in English. When called on it, Lowe's corrected their mistake. I am tired of businesses cashing in on the Christmas season but refusing to acknowledge in English we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, if they even acknowledge it at all.
And now Budweiser, with their bending over and grabbing their ankles in the name of political correctness, has become the "Queen of Beers."
Tim Kuehl