Newcastle takes heat over #IfWeWon ad campaign
Jul 3, 2014, 8:13 PM | Updated: 8:40 pm
As Americans gear up for the Fourth of July, many companies are adding a patriotic flair to their ads — George Washington, bald eagles and waving flags are everywhere.
Well, nearly everywhere. English-made Newcastle Brown Ale launched a tongue-in-cheek campaign called “If We Won.” It’s a series of videos and photos describing what America would be like if the British won the American War for Independence.
While the videos are clearly meant as jokes, a lot of Americans took umbrage. The brand’s Facebook page was inundated with angry comments demanding apologies in the most patriotic (and profane) manner. In the interest of apologizing (not really), Newcastle released another video starring Elizabeth Hurley.
As far as I’m concerned, Newcastle’s campaign is pure genius. After all, it all comes down to the scoreboard.
United States-1, England-0. ‘Murica.