New York

October 2003: Syracuse, NY
Complaint against Goldschlager Billboard

Robert S. Pezzolesi, coordinator of the Alcohol Advertising Reform Initiative (AARI) in Syracuse, New York, filed a formal complaint with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) Code Review Board on October 14, 2003. Pezzolesi's complaint specifically concerned a billboard advertisement for Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps that he believed featured models who looked to be under the age of 21 and that therefore violated the DISCUS "Code of Responsible Practices for Beverage Alcohol Advertising and Marketing." Pezzolesi also stated that because the advertisement's text read "Be Careful" and because the models were wearing safety gear and had "deer in the headlights" expressions on their faces, the advertisement connected the Goldschlager brand with "strength, power, and danger." Pezzolesi said that this violated the standard of not promoting the product's intoxifying effects, as listed in the DISCUS "Code of Responsible Practices." He asked DISCUS to review this advertisement and to order its immediate removal and also forwarded his complaint to U.S. Senators Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn); as well as the New York Attorney General, Elliot Spitzer; and individuals from the Federal Trade Commission, Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Syracuse Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission, and the Syracuse Post-Standard. On November 13, 2003, DISCUS and Diageo sent replies to Pezzolesi reporting that Diageo had decided to pull the advertisement and detailing the steps that were to be taken to do so. In the following months, Pezzolesi continued to follow up with DISCUS and Diageo to report any advertisements that continued to be run. See the advertisement.