[interested_observer]

Miller Lite contacted a wedding photographer about using one of her images of groomsman drinking Miller Lite to "share it with the world", for some pride, since they were not willing to provide photo credit, nor payment. The photographer was thinking they intended to use it on their facebook page. It turns out that they were going to use it for a multi-million TV advertisement.

• Be Careful When a Big Brand Asks for Your Photo

Miller Lite is a brand of Anheuser-Busch, who has a market capitalization of $204 Billion with revenue of $47 Billion.

I have not figured out how this "pride" thing works. Last I checked, the grocery store wanted a credit card, check or cash on the barrel head for a 6 pack of Miller Lite. They didn't accept 10 prides...

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Last edited by interested_observer; 05-17-2015 at 12:23 PM.

[boriscleto]

Miller Lite is a brand of Anheuser-Busch, who has a market capitalization of $204 [B]

Umm. MillerCoors (SABMiller & Molson Coors)...not Anheuser-Busch InBev

[interested_observer]

Umm. MillerCoors (SABMiller & Molson Coors)...not Anheuser-Busch InBev

I stand corrected, Thanks!! That shows you how much beer I drink... On the same line of thought - SABMiller & Molson Coors is not a bathtub beer operation, out back in the garage.

... for some reason, I have always associated Miller with AB. Oh well...

[stevebrot]

for some reason, I have always associated Miller with AB. Oh well...

Wait a few years and it will be so...


Steve

[Winder]

SABMiller & Molson Coors is not a bathtub beer operation, out back in the garage.

That would depend on who you ask. Yes they are a big company with lots of money, but they brew for the lowest common denominator to appeal to the most people. I've had lots of garage beer that was better than anything Miller makes.

[MadMathMind]

Comes down to what you want. If you want to break into the advertising industry, eating a free one or two might be the only way to do it. If you don't care about that and just don't want to give out a free lunch, then you tell them to forget it. I'd lean a bit more toward the second one, although if I tell them not to use my photo, I still get $0. The publicity might be worth something, though.

[bluestringer]

I'm not sure about this. They told her the photo would be shown in TV ads. The photo shows the men actually drinking the beer, which is prohibited in a TV advertisement.

[interested_observer]

That would depend on who you ask. Yes they are a big company with lots of money, but they brew for the lowest common denominator to appeal to the most people. I've had lots of garage beer that was better than anything Miller makes.

I knew that this comment was winging its way, I just did not know who the author was going to be....

Comes down to what you want. If you want to break into the advertising industry, eating a free one or two might be the only way to do it. If you don't care about that and just don't want to give out a free lunch, then you tell them to forget it. I'd lean a bit more toward the second one, although if I tell them not to use my photo, I still get $0. The publicity might be worth something, though.

The whole thing was she was willing to let them use her photo, but at least wanted a credit - which they were not willing to give since it was a TV commercial. What I find interesting is that using the Getty Calculator (TV advertising, 1 month, beverages) is suggesting a license fee of $2,500. If you are going to spend a few million on making a TV commercial and buying advertising time, the photographer's license fee is well down in the noise. The license fee is not going to make or break the commercial. And they still expect the average Joe to buy their "beer" - with something a bit more tangible than "praise". Miller wasn't going to tell anyone about where the photo came from - so all the publicity would need to be self generated.

[MadMathMind]

The whole thing was she was willing to let them use her photo, but at least wanted a credit - which they were not willing to give since it was a TV commercial. What I find interesting is that using the Getty Calculator (TV advertising, 1 month, beverages) is suggesting a license fee of $2,500. If you are going to spend a few million on making a TV commercial and buying advertising time, the photographer's license fee is well down in the noise. The license fee is not going to make or break the commercial. And they still expect the average Joe to buy their "beer" - with something a bit more tangible than "praise". Miller wasn't going to tell anyone about where the photo came from - so all the publicity would need to be self generated.

I agree. It is quite cheap of them. It's definitely a product of the "Internet celebrity era," which companies have exploited by using people's desire to be famous that they will give the company what they want for free--and get absolutely nothing in exchange but bragging rights. We see this with the plethora of unpaid internships for college students...

[grog85361]

You think they would at least offer a case of their product for the photo! I got that much and a pizza for helping a neighbor fix his car!

[disord3r]

I'm not sure about this. They told her the photo would be shown in TV ads. The photo shows the men actually drinking the beer, which is prohibited in a TV advertisement.

Does that law prohibit the display of photos of people enjoying alcoholic beverages?

[MD Optofonik]

Craft beer has been growing enough in popularity to be noticed by the big companies. Their demise will be slow but its inevitable

[monochrome]

Craft beer has been growing enough in popularity to be noticed by the big companies. Their demise will be slow but its inevitable

Big companies will buy the successful craft brands and corporatize their business operations - it's the craft beers that are looking into the abyss.

ABInBev is already doing it.

[MD Optofonik]

Big companies will buy the successful craft brands and corporatize their business operations - it's the craft beers that are looking into the abyss.

ABInBev is already doing it.

It can't happen that way, Craft brewing is one of the few businesses where the consumer actually cares, influences how things work, has a large professional association and, soon, the law on their side. If a craft beer is bought by a large corporation the Brewer’s Association disallows the use of the designation "craft". There's at least one lawsuit currently in the works that is taking to task on of the the largest corporate breweries that has been trying to fool people by marketing some of their beer as craft beer. That's one of the great things about craft beer, it's not a label, it's a designation.

[r0ckstarr]

I thought you lost pride by drinking Miller Lite.