USA: Coors Brewing Company announces adoption of Beer Institute Third Party

Coors Brewing Company, the third largest U.S. brewer, announced on November 14 that it plans to adopt the independent third party advertising review process recently agreed to by members of the Beer Institute.

While Coors' standard-setting Advertising Complaint EvaluationProcess has been in place since 2002, the company will discontinue it and adopt the Beer Institute's new system beginning January 1, 2006. The ACE Process has been very effective; however, Coors believes it is important for the industry to have a unified system and for consumers to have a single, consistent entity to address their concerns.

"It's rewarding and satisfying for us to see the beer industry adopt a third party review system, because we've been strong advocates of this for years," said Frits van Paasschen, president and CEO, Coors Brewing Company. "In fact, we were the first major brewer to implement an independent third party system in 2002. The result has been an objective process that works for Coors and our consumers," van Paasschen added.

A third party review system is a process by which consumers who believe that an advertisement is inconsistent with the industry's marketing code can request review by an independent panel. Currently, Coors reviews all brand advertising and marketing materials to ensure that they are consistent with Coors' Pledge, the company's advertising and marketing guidelines.

Coors will continue with its ACE Process through the remainder of 2005, in partnership with the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Advertising Pledge Program (APP). Coors' ongoing commitment to responsible use is reflected in initiatives such as promoting only responsible adult consumption within advertising and marketing; supporting effective prevention, education and intervention referral programs; and working with its distributors to promote responsible retailer practices -- such as server training programs and use of Coors' responsibility point-of-sale materials.

Coors Brewing Company is a subsidiary of Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP) (TSX:TAP). It is the third largest brewer in the U.S. The company's U.S. brands include Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Coors, Aspen Edge, Killian's Irish Red, Keystone, Blue Moon, Coors NA and Zima XXX.