We here in Texas love our craft brews, regardless of name, shape, or era from which they get their inspiration. Well, a Minnesota brewery called Modist Brewing Company, which had been producing an offering with a marketing technique that made use of verbiage under copyright was recently issued a cease and desist notice by one of the largest beer companies in the world – Anheuser-Busch InBev. Although it may sound like a David and Goliath type of story, in actuality, AB InBev gave Modist Brewing Company a unique message.
Modist Brewing Company had been marketing a double India Pale Ale which they named “Dilly Dilly.” This was a take against the recent Bud Light campaign which included medieval monarchs toasting while saying “dilly dilly” in tandem. So, as opposed to sending the craft brewery a traditional letter from their rather extensive legal team, Anheuser-Busch InBev chose to send a town crier to the Minneapolis headquarters of the Modist Brewing Company.
Photo: Facebook/Modist Brewing Company
The company took to their social media in amazement at the form in which the notice was issued saying, “That moment when Bud Light sends you a cease and desist for your #dillydilly release… via a scroll… written in olde english… read by an actual medieval person.. and then sends you to the Minnesota Super Bowl 2018.”
In an article by My San Antonio, the town crier’s words were quoted as, “We are duly flattered by your loyal tribute, however, Dilly Dilly is the motto of our realm and so we humbly ask that you keep this to a limited-edition, one-time-only run. Disobedience shall be met with additional scrolls, then a formal warning, and finally, a private tour of the Pit of Misery. Please send a raven, letter or electronic mail to let us know that you agree to this request.” Legal counsel for Modist Brewing Company, Jeff O’Brien, explained, “There’s so many brewery names and beer names out there, and we try to resolve it short of suing each other,” he said. “They did it in a funny way and protected their mark. I thought it was a really cool way of handling it.” As noted in the Modist Brewing Company Facebook post, AB InBev also gifted the business two tickets to the upcoming Super Bowl 52 which is taking place in Minneapolis in February of 2018. They have since renamed their beer offering as “Coat Tails” and have hung the original scroll on the wall.
