This is an update to our story from the first episode of our podcast
Founders Brewing Company officially relabels ‘Breakfast Stout’ due to a law regarding the use of images of minors on alcoholic beverage labels. Founders has removed the iconic baby from their Breakfast Stout label in light of recent controversy over the inclusion of a baby on the bottle label of the hyper-popular alcoholic beverage.
Appearing on the new label is an all-too-familiar breakfast bowl donning the Founders namesake. Where the Founders baby once was, there is now a note on the refrigerator that reads “left the crib for a bit, call me if you need me 616-522-2720”
If curiosity gets the better of you and you call the number, you will be met by a recorded message left presumably by the Founders baby.
The message is as follows: “Hey! Thanks for checking up on me. I’m currently not allowed in my home-state of Michigan, so I’m hanging in the rest of the Founders distribution footprint this fall. Leave me a message letting me know how much you love double-chocolate coffee oatmeal stouts, where you’re drinking your beer, OR, how badly you want me to come home. My Founders family may even use your voicemail for something fun! Maybe I’ll see you again next year…then again…maybe not.”
What do you think of this move by Founders? Is this the morally and civically responsible thing to do? Would you regard this as a good move? Or is this just simply ridiculous and a sign of the PC times that we live in? Let us know in the comments below!
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This…is…awesome! Not only are they complying with the law, but adding a little humor to it! I bet they get more website hours this year than last.
I definitely think of it as a sign of the PC times we live in… but at the same time they handled it very well. What’s more concerning to me (personally) is that there wont be any breakfast stout available in MI next year. Wtf.
I do believe they will sell BS in Michigan…just without the baby! Cheers and thanks for reading and commenting, Derek!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo
Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh, Helen!
I don’t believe it has anything to do with political correctness, and has more to do with modern prohibitionism that will stick any kind of rule on alcohol that they can. You know, “for the children’s sake.” Good for them for having a laugh.
We can’t blame them for taking the high road and having some fun with this silly law! Cheers and thanks for reading and commenting!
Why can’t they age the “baby” to a legal, wet behind the ears 21 y/o ?
Agreed. The “baby” in this case is actually Benjamin Button.
If so, we see no problems from a legal standpoint! Cheers & Thanks for reading!
Maybe the “baby” is actually an adult afflicted with a form of dwarfism which makes him APPEAR as a child to the casual observer when in actuality he’s an adult. You know…Lollipop Land style?
You’d like to think Founders would be more sensitive to this individual rather than banning him from his own home! Unreal!
Thanks for reading, commenting and making us laugh!
There are what thousands of breweries that manage to market there beer without kids on the label. Why is this so hard for a huge, partially-corporate, brewery like Founders?
Because the label has been around long before they were “huge and Partially Corporate”. Why did it take so long for the government to realize this was on the label is the bigger question.
I wonder how much this has to do with their merger with the Spanish conglomerate
None whatsoever.
And calling it a “merger” is inaccurate.
It is the PC world which we live in and it’s stupid, but they handled it beautifully. Also, I think a minor would pick up a Smirnoff ice before they would a double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout lol
We can’t disagree! Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
This article is misleading because the “babyless” label is only being used in Michigan where the state suddenly disapproved it (after at least 12 years of it being approved). Everywhere else (with the possible exception of Vermont) will still get the original label with the baby.
We mention that in the article that at AT LEAST in Michigan, the baby is going away.
http://foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/2015/michiganders-the-baby-has-left-the-crib/
FINALLY! We broke this before anyone else (we think) and we were a bit afraid that we got it wrong!
This label is top notch. It’s one of the best out there. It’s the trademark for this wonderful beer. Honestly though, they could slap anything on this bottle and the sales would never suffer. This Stout is truly amazing and an ArtForm in itself
Badly draw a beard on baby… call it young hipster. More stupid politicians and activists interfering in something that is none of their business.
Anyone who would think that the label with the baby encourages underage drinking has no sense of humor, and is striving for idiothood in the name of political correctness.
Having vented, I think the Founders folks did the best they could with the situation and injected humor into the situation. Good Job, Founders.
Better yet. I think Founders should have an Open Contest for the next label if it comes to that. People submit their ideas online. The prize doesn’t even have to be Monetary. A free case of Breakfast Stout every October for life would be plenty prize enough. Go for this Founders. I think it would be a lot of fun. Screw the people who don’t like the baby though. These are also the people who probably agree with the whole “Every kid gets a trophy thing”
I’d put a beard on the baby.
Founders has found a way to show the folly of governance by fools. Since Government can not actually fix any real actual problems they can only destroy that which others created, and it doesn’t matter what business they destroy in the process Because they have no actual skin in the game. Government is the act of destroying and stifling creativity by its very existence it is in the way of innovation taxing and controlling without any consideration except for its only self preservation like a cancer on creativity.
I have always been a fan of the breakfast stout baby and I do not think we are in imminent danger of babies everywhere wanting stout with their oatmeal due the artwork on the label
Luckily for everyone, Founders is bringing the baby back!
I live in southeast Mi and can’t find any bottles with the logo with the baby missing?
Did any new logo orders ship any stores in the southeast ?
We’re not too sure. Ron was able to find a shelf full of baby-less labels when he was in Traverse City. Did you check the date on the bottles? I wonder if they found a way to put the baby back on since this has been published.
Thank you for the feedback.
i will continue to look on the east side of the state…
Bottles in my area are 9/10/2016
The children in Flint MI would be far better off drinking breakfast stout than their own tap water.
First, that image is not that of a baby.
In either case, minors should not be on a label of any alcoholic beverage.
I wonder if the executives of Founders lost their minds when they approved this label.
But that is why good people pass laws to prevent this folly.
I just bought a bottle that says it was labeled in 2016 and it has the baby. I like the baby with the bowl. Creative use of the bowl on the label without the baby though. Love the refrigerator note