A California consumer is taking legal action against the makers of Blue Moon beer for advertising it as a “craft brew” when the term may not apply. Businesses should be careful when selecting terms for beer labels because something that seems like a marketing adjective may actually have industry guidelines behind it.
The official text of this class action complaint explains the accusation against MillerCoors, the company that produces Blue Moon, and how the plaintiff believes the company is misleading customers.
Among the examples of possible false advertising, the complaint alleges that “defendant reiterates and emphasizes its false and deceptive statements by employing the trademarked term, ‘Artfully Crafted.’ Additionally, on various advertising materials, as well as on each bottle of Blue Moon, Defendant falsely states that the beer is brewed by Blue Moon Brewing Company.”
The craft beer movement has gained momentum in recent years, but for a company to market a beverage as a “craft” brew, it needs to actually qualify. The general accepted idea is that “craft” pertains to the independently brewed beer that isn’t part of a major label.
This is more than just popular knowledge, though: As Quartz recently noted, the Brewers Association actually requires that “less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.”
Stating the quality and preparation of the beer accurately is only part of the job of a beer label: it also has to be appealing and high-quality. The Afinia L801 Color Label Printer is a good fit for beer labels because of its high resolution capabilities and ability to accept labels with different levels of finish. Other choices include the Primera LX400 and Primera LX900 color label printers. Read more about them on our beer labels page.
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