In the Spotlight|August 01, 2014 09:53 EDT
Guinness Beer Ad Uses Christian Hymn to Sell Adult Beverage; One Million Moms Outraged at Promotion of Alcohol with Gospel Tune (VIDEO)
Beer companies have all sorts of crazy commercials and advertisements to try and attract a wide array of people to drink their product, and now Guinness has made an ad to target Christians.
In Guinness' latest commercial, "Empty Chair," the popular brand used the gospel hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." The song is inspired by "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are everlasting arms," which is found in Deuteronomy 33:27.
"Empty Chair" takes place in a bar. Every night the female bartender leaves a glass of Guinness beer at an empty table. Several nights pass by and no one comes in to claim the beverage. Finally, on the last night, seen in the commercial, a returning soldier from war comes in and takes the beer. Everyone puts their glasses up to toast the soldier as he takes a sip. The commercial was released for the fourth of July and pays tribute to the troops. However, the hymn played throughout the entire commercial is concerning to some people.
Although the hymn's instrumental is only played, the song is about comforting lost loved ones. One Million Moms has come against the commercial and said that using a serious song such as "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" to promote beer, and insight emotion is wrong given the context.
"The cherished 'Everlasting Arms' hymn has no place in a beer commercial," One Million Moms states according to Charisma News, "Christian music should not be associated with an advertisement promoting drinking. The choice of including this hymn in the ad disrespects the Christian faith."
The argument is also that the hymn is being used to glorify drinking alcohol which is a problem area for many people in the world. Many believe that the hymn should be used to promote encouragement and healing in the Lord rather than the bottle.
Check out the video below. What do you think of the message? Did Guinness cross the line?
"Guinness "Empty Chair" salutes the character of a community as they honor one of their own who is out of sight, but not out of mind. They remind us that a true test of character is what you do when no one's looking," reads the commercials description. "The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character. Guinness proudly raises a glass to those who are #MadeOfMore."
Watch the video below: