Bloomberg's Beer Bust

The battlelines are drawn: It's Mayor Bloomberg versus Rheingold. Rheingold is running some ads on cable TV that pokes fun at various quality-of-life hallmarks of our Mayor's term: Cabaret laws, summonses, and, of course, the smoking ban. The Daily News describes two ads:

In one ad, dancers shake their booties until a banner appears on screen warning: "No Dancing. Fine: $300."
The most controversial spot, "Ashtray," shows several people striding down the street with ashtrays in their pockets. They pop into a bar, slam down the trays and are served a Rheingold before the screen fades to the message: "No Smoking in Bars. Fines issued: $200 and up."

The Mayor is annoyed, saying, "Rheingold is a company that walked out on this city 30 years ago," to remind all that Rheingold shut down its Bushwick brewery, which not only caused 1,500 jobs to go down the drain, but also 62,000 gallons of beer (into the sewer).

Rheingold Beer's president sayd, "It's all about freedom of choice, which is one of the things that makes this city so great." Yeah. Gothamist hasn't seen the spots yet, but we can count on two hands the number of MasterCard priceless ads we've seen already. But at any rate, Mayor B, you're in a tough spot: You've been sucking the livelihood out of various dancers and smokers (though giving the smokers another few months or years to live), and now you're threatening the last legal remaining source of it...how important is the youth vote to you again?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 13, 2004 11:43 AM

Comments [rss]

chayex

Rheingold has created dozens of jobs in NYC in terms of sales, marketing, creative and distribution. There is nowhere to brew in the 5 boroughs...thanks to Mayor Beame and President Ford. If you think that Brooklyn Beer is brewed in Brooklyn, think again. It's brewed in Utica, right alongside Rheingold. Oh, and Bud is brewed in Newark.

You'd think Bloomberg would embrace a growing company with NYC roots, staffed by NY'ers who want to build a brand and re-establish a legacy. The people who run Rheingold are from NYC...bloomie's from Boston...

Ari

Bickle - will you marry me?

Travis

One day a real rain will come and wash away all the Rheingold and bullshit.

Bickle

I wonder if the same people who like the smoking ban also show off to their friends in Smallville USA how badass NYC is.

I never remembered hearing anybody saying in all of NYC's past "Wow, I came home from a great night out in the city, but I smell like smoke. There ought to be a law!" Remember when this city was badass? Oooooh big, scary tough New York. Eeee!

Smoking is bad for you! Drinking is bad for you! Premarital unprotected sex is bad for you! Graffiti is bad!! Being loud in public is bad!! Good thing we have New York City here to clean up our act!!

New York City: a Nice, Wholesome Place to Live. And may we live forever. god bless you, every one--

Larry

Sorry, Gothamist - On one level the smoking ban strikes me as odd, but I still give it two thumbs up. I like coming home not smelling like an ashtray, but I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I don't mind coming home smelling like tempura batter and sake, but that's neither here nor there. Mmmm, fattening.

don't sleep

i've seen the spots. they're not an attack on bloomberg at all. just a plea for people to take the city back to it's dirty, energetic, exciting self.

i didn't move here for San Francisco East.

Mr. Non-Rheingold

Bloomberg might be harsh, but he's right. Rheingold abandonded NYC back in the 1970s. And now they don't even have a plant in NYC. The land they owned fell to crap. Now they're using Bloomberg as a lynchpin for free publicity.

Rheingold has as much to do with NYC in the year 2004 as the Dodgers have to do with Brooklyn. If Rheingold has a true commitment to NYC, bring some real jobs here. Rebuild a plant here. Then you can have an opinion. Until then, Rheingold should just pour themselves down the sewer like all of the employees they screwed back in the 1970s.

Rheingold's label should read:

Estab 1883 - New York

Abandn 1976 - New York

Shilling Fake NYC Heritage 1999 - New York

Chris Cohen

One of the main reasons that Bloomie has been so unpopular is the image he has of a party-pooper. That he's just a crusty old lame guy who can't even stand people dancing or smoking in bars is how many NYers think of him (deserved or not). He sees this commerical as a personal attack, he needed to respond vigorously - these commercials dredge up that fading party-pooper image. His approval rating has been rising recently, he doesn't want some beer company to remind people of these issues.

Coolfer Glenn

This morning I read that a smoker who starts at the age of 21 takes 6-7 years off his/her life. No stats on dancing, sorry.

ert97

karma! I once went to an 'interview' @ Patio for what I thought was a marketing position -- wanted people to help make them 'hip' by running promotions downtown and basically make it the beer of hipsters. Instead of an interview it was a giant sales pitch -- everyone who sent in a resume at the bar being told to drink Rheingold. While I was fine with free beer -- it was a gig I was in the market for.

The whole company creeps me out. Tries a little too hard...

james

Captain Obvious - did you live here in the Dinkins years? You think Giuliani was bad?

Striver

Bring back Miss Rheingold! Then maybe I'll drink a can.

Maybe Bloomberg will counter with a revival of Miss Subways, and the two winners can duke it out for Miss New York Spokesperson and a shot at a spot with the Knicks City Dancers?

Mase

Although it is brewed in Utica, the company is based in the City (management, at least). I have been drinking it for years and NEVER thought it a hipster brew (more like a Black Label or Piels than anything else). It attempting to be hip is hilarious ... almost as much as the PBR craze.

Captain Obvious

This whole thing is so dumb. Bloomberg is so ridiculously better than Giuliani, it's mind boggling. But all the kids who moved to NY en masse, that had never set foot in the city before two years ago want to have something to complain about.

You think they'd be upset at such obvious pandering to the hipster-set. 'Don't sleep'? The hip hop nation doesn't drink Rheingold, they drink ballantine, and they like it.

jake

i like the look of rheingold beer- it's got a nice logo. but i only drink beer produced within the 5 boroughs of the city.

Mase

Rheingold making a comeback is all good. Getting Rheingold in the can at a bar, with the sawdustesque aftertaste, cannot be beat!

Giz

The youth vote? Hahahahaha!

If young people voted, they would run the world. But they don't. Old white people (like me) vote. So we run the world.