Beer for Santa Ad Stirs Controversy

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - An ad campaign launched by Labatt Brewery in Canada to promote non-alcoholic beer is causing controversy.

The campaign's tagline "Leave one out for Santa. He's driving," has some consumers saying it sends the wrong message, according to the Toronto Sun .

"I don't think that's quite appropriate," said Kathleen Clifford, 65. "Children see that and they think we'd better leave beer for Santa instead of cookies and milk. I have grandchildren and great-granchildren and I don't approve of it."

Labatt said the ads, which were launched in November and will run through the end of the year, are a message to people to not drink and drive.

"It's reminding people, especially during this holiday season, when people are going out to celebrate, not to drink and drive," said Catherine Pringle, corporate affairs manager of Labatt Breweries of Canada. "Some of the posters direct people to makingaplan.ca , which is a Web site that encourages people to plan ahead not drink and drive."

Even though the beer is promoted as alcohol-free, it actually contains "0.5% or less" alcohol. Despite the controversy, Mothers Against Drinking and Driving (MADD) said it has no problem with the ads.

"This is not drinking and driving. It's a Labatt issue and whatever their philosophy is behind the ad is certainly up to them," said MADD Canada president Margaret Miller.

Many breweries unveil special holiday beers at this time of year, and traditional TV ads for the holiday brews go back to the 1950s.