Miller says TV beer ads halted

NEW YORK – An advertising battle in the US beer market is gathering froth.Miller Brewing, a unit of SABMiller, said on Tuesday several cable networks pulled new Miller ads on complaints by rival Anheuser-Busch, the largest US brewer.

“They (Anheuser-Busch) made calls to just about every cable network that they analyse their decision to run the Miller spots,” Miller spokesman Peter Marino said. The Miller spots, launched on Friday, claim that despite a change in Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light, Miller Lite still has more taste.Anheuser-Busch said that it hasn’t changed the formula for Bud Light, the top-selling light beer in the United States, but added that its brew masters constantly make small adjustments for seasonal changes in raw ingredients.Several cable networks have temporarily placed the Miller spots on hold and asked the company to provide substantiation for the claim, Miller said, adding that it was providing the requested substantiation.Anheuser-Busch responded to what it felt were negative ads by Miller, an Anheuser-Busch executive said.Miller and Anheuser-Busch have been engaged in a fierce advertising battle as Miller tries to wrest market share from the largest US brewer amid sluggish beer sales in the United States as consumer tastes have shifted toward cocktails and wine.While Miller Lite is the No.3 brand in terms of sales in the United States, it is growing at a faster pace than Bud Light, according to data provided by Information Resources Inc.The ad war between the two beer companies is not new.-Nampa-ReutersThe Miller spots, launched on Friday, claim that despite a change in Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light, Miller Lite still has more taste.Anheuser-Busch said that it hasn’t changed the formula for Bud Light, the top-selling light beer in the United States, but added that its brew masters constantly make small adjustments for seasonal changes in raw ingredients.Several cable networks have temporarily placed the Miller spots on hold and asked the company to provide substantiation for the claim, Miller said, adding that it was providing the requested substantiation.Anheuser-Busch responded to what it felt were negative ads by Miller, an Anheuser-Busch executive said.Miller and Anheuser-Busch have been engaged in a fierce advertising battle as Miller tries to wrest market share from the largest US brewer amid sluggish beer sales in the United States as consumer tastes have shifted toward cocktails and wine.While Miller Lite is the No.3 brand in terms of sales in the United States, it is growing at a faster pace than Bud Light, according to data provided by Information Resources Inc.The ad war between the two beer companies is not new.-Nampa-Reuters