Amazing stuff this:
Senior representatives from the South Australian brewery Coopers have apologised and said they support marriage equality after the use of their beer in a video-taped debate about the issue sparked a boycott campaign.
Coopers came under fire after one of its beers was featured in ‘Keep it Light’, a video by the Bible Society where federal Coalition MPs Tim Wilson and Andrew Hastie discussed marriage equality.
In an awkward video release, Coopers executives apologise for the brewery’s involvement with the Bible Society’s controversial video debate and pledge support for marriage equality. (Edited with subtitles)
While sipping bottles of Coopers Premium Light, Mr Wilson made the case for same-sex marriage, while Mr Hastie defended “traditional marriage”. The video featured lingering shots of beer bottles, and its host thanked the Coopers family.
It came shortly after the brewery announced it had created a batch of 10,000 cartons of its light beer cans to commemorate the Bible Society’s 200th year. The cans, which feature the evangelical Christian organisation’s logo, read: “Live light: Happy 200th birthday to Australia’s longest-living charity, from Australia’s longest-living family brewery. Bible Society 1817 – 2017.”
Coopers have also donated to the Bible Society through their charitable foundation, to allow the organisation to distribute bibles to the defence force.
As the video was shared, licensed venues in Sydney and Melbourne began to announce they had taken Coopers off tap, with some filming videos as they threw beer bottles in the bin. Consumers also took to social media to say they would stop drinking Coopers beer.
Following a backlash, both Coopers and the Bible Society said the video was not officially sponsored and no money changed hands.
The original:
And the apology:
Says to me that anger on the community is frothing over at divisive politics (pardon the pun).
