The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

NCADD News Release

For More Information, Contact: Jeffrey Hon, Director for Public Information Sarah Kayson, Director for Public Policy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Release Wednesday, May 26, 1999:

NCADD Urges Nation's Leading Retailers to Stop Selling CD that Encourages Underage Drinking; Inaugurates "Shame On Anheuser Busch" Campaign

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) has asked two of the nation's leading retailers to stop selling a compact disk that promotes beer drinking among families with children. The actions were taken as the first step in "Shame On Anheuser Busch," a new grassroots campaign to expose alcoholic beverage marketing practices that threaten the health of the American public as seriously as those of tobacco companies. In letters sent to the chief executives of Kmart and Wal-Mart on May 18, NCADD asserted that "Frank & Louie's Greatest Hits," a compact disk compilation which includes a dozen kid-friendly beer commercials voiced by the famous Budweiser lizards, is a blatant marketing attempt by the Anheuser Busch brewing company to deliver pro-drinking messages through a family recreational activity. The letters were written after Anheuser Busch failed to respond to NCADD concerns directly. "The cleverness of this Trojan horse strategy is exceeded only by its insidiousness,"observed Max A. Schneider, MD, chair of the NCADD board of directors children will recognize Frank and Louie from radio and television ads, it's easy to imagine them begging their parents to purchase a CD that features two of their favorite characters. Parents probably won't offer much resistance when they see that the CD features party music they remember fondly from their own youth. Then when Mom or Dad plays the new CD in the car or at home, Anheuser Busch, with the cooperation of Kmart and Walmart, will have accomplished what even its traditional advertising has thus far failed to do: manipulate parents into giving beer drinking their seal of approval." Introduced in 1997, Frank and Louie have been seen by millions of American families, particularly during the Super Bowl, one of the highest rated events on television. They are the most recent in a long line of animals and cartoon figures used by Anheuser Busch to maintain its beer market dominance, including Spuds McKenzie (1987); Bud Man (1991); dalmatian puppies (1993); frogs (1995) and a penguin (1996). "Frank and Louie's Greatest Hits" also makes explicit references to the frogs whose slogan ("Bud-weis-er"), heard repeatedly on the CD, could be recalled by 73 per cent of children ages 9 to 11 years in one study. "The public long ago realized how Joe Camel--who never appeared on television or radio--was being used to encourage children to smoke cigarettes," add Dr. Schneider. "Once they recognize that alcoholic beverage companies like Anheuser Busch use the same tactics, perhaps we can generate enough outrage to make some real progress in fighting America's number-one illegal drug problem among youth." Materials to help grassroots activists participate in NCADD's "Shame on Anheuser Busch Campaign," including sample letters to local Kmart and Wal-Mart stores, are available on NCADD's website at www.ncadd.org. Status reports and information about new initiatives also will be posted there. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. provides education, information, help and hope in the fight against the chronic and often fatal disease of alcoholism, and other drug addictions. Founded in 1944, NCADD, with its nationwide network of Affiliates, advocates prevention, intervention and treatment and is committed to ridding the disease of its stigma and its sufferers from their denial and shame. 5/25/99

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)