Going addy on your arse

Coors is introducing a low-carb beer to the market. "Adolph Coors Co., the No. 3 U.S. brewer, said Wednesday it was introducing a low carbohydrate beer to gain market share with health-conscious drinkers. The new beer, called Aspen Edge, is designed to compete with products such as rival Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.'s Michelob Ultra. Aspen Edge will be sold in 10 states starting on March 1. Coors said in a statement it plans to make the product available across the United States by the end of 2004."

"New research by NBC finds support for the premise that despite clients' skittishness to keep advertising during national crises, Americans want and really need to see advertising soon after a major national trauma like 9/11 or a military conflict like the war in Iraq." "They feel advertising is a part of the American way of life," said Janet Gallent, director of primary research at NBC."

Developed by Laird+Partners, Gap's creative agency, the new Gap holiday campaign features nine artists, including Al Green, Melissa Etheridge and Kelly Rowland singing an exclusive recording of "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," which is the musical backdrop for four :30 spots. The set for the ads recreates an old-fashioned, Main Street, USA look and feel. They feature familiar faces such as models Nastassja Kinski and Frankie Rayder getting into the holiday spirit alongside their family members including Kinski's children and Rayder's sisters. "Each of the four TV spots uses music and emotion to express the meaning and magic of the holiday season," said Kyle Andrew, vice president of Gap Marketing. "We hope these ads and the special song we recorded will evoke the loving spirit of the holidays, while continuing to reinforce the emotional connection we're building with our customers."

The advertising watchdog has banned an advertising campaign for Rizla cigarette papers after ruling it could be seen as condoning the use of cannabis.

A TV campaign for Burger King that showed a woman covered in bite marks has been cleared by watchdogs despite attracting dozens of viewer complaints, including one from a victim of domestic violence. Complaints came in at 83 causing the ITC to launch an investigation even after Burger King voluntarily withdrew the advert last month.

Controversial KFC ads get pulled due to their health claims. "In situations like this there ought to be corrective advertising to correct the information that they have propagated, but it's a good-faith gesture to nip this almost in the bud," he said. Adage had written an editorial about how these ads should be pulled off the air. And Bob Garfield wrote a blurb about KFC's claims being slippery. FCB won the $200 million KFC account in September. This could be an interesting situation, depending on who takes the fall for this. I'll be glad to see the stupid "You've gotta KFC what's cookin'" line gone. If I never hear it again, it will be too soon. Talk about bastardizing the English language. It doesn't even make any sense. A client who buys a line like that, and the whole campaign, needs to reevaluate who they've got in their marketing department giving out the stamp of approval for this sort of thing.