Here’s one for the “ask nicely first, then send the indignant media release” file.

Brookvale Union’s inoffensive cider label. Not wishing to cause offense, we won’t print the Ginger Beer label.

Early in the week we received a media release titled Perturbed Hindus urge withdrawal of Ganesh-Lakshmi Australian beer (below, bottom). We didn’t cover it as we rarely write about cider at all but it still seems to have been picked up and created a moderate amount of controversy. To their credit Brookvale Union, the cider arm of 4 Pines, acted very quickly (below, middle) to remedy the situation and apologise. While their initial ‘outrage’ seems to have been out of inadvertent cultural insensitivity rather than a desire to deliberately court controversy and garner free coverage, Brookvale Union has now turned it to its advantage calling on designers to help redesign their label.

To his credit, Rajan Zed (below) has graciously acknowledged the apology and that the offence was inadvertent. However, we understand that the first Brookvale Union heard of the ‘controversy’ was when it learned a media release had been sent out. While the label will now be redesigned, a quick Google search seems to show that the complain-by-media-release approach has guaranteed that the offensive, but previously barely seen, label is now deeply entrenched on the interwebs, running beside stories covering the outrage. Seems like a Pyrrhic victory to me.

Anyway, designers – get thinking about an inoffensive way to label a cider.

Media Release

Upset Hindus thank Australian brewery for apology & redesigning Ganesh-Lakshmi beer

Hindus worldwide, perturbed over Brookvale (New South Wales, Australia) based “Brookvale Union” brewery’s ginger beer carrying juxtaposed images of Hindu deities Ganesh and Lakshmi, have thanked it for apologizing and focusing on redesigning the beer.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, calling juxtaposed images of Ganesh and Lakshmi on a beer bottle “highly inappropriate”, has thanked and commended the brewery for having an understanding for the hurt feelings of Hindu community and for showing responsibility, respect and maturity by taking quick action in apologizing and announcing its redesign.

It was a step in the right direction, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted in a statement in Nevada (USA) today.

Rajan Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more, but faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it tormented the devotees, Zed pointed out and added that businesses should be respectful to various faith traditions.

In a statement released on November 14 and published in “Beer & Brewer” magazine from New South Wales, the brewery said: “We have subsequently apologised for any distress caused and begun the process of removing the images from the website. We’re lovers, not fighters, we want to make it right… We are now focused on redesigning the Ginger Beer which hopefully all can be happy with!” It has asked “graphic designers, artists, and even doodlers” to come up with a better design by November 24, and is reportedly urging them not to use imagery that may be deemed offensive.

“It seems we have unintentionally offended our Hindu friends with the imagery on our Ginger Beer packaging…Brookvale Union is about great tasting, fun beverages and not about disrespecting anyone or their beliefs”, statement added.

In an email to Zed on November 12, Brookvale Union wrote: “…it was not intended to cause any offence. With the recent feedback brought to our attention, we will be re-designing our bottles and packaging.”

Label at this ginger beer bottle juxtaposed image of Lord Ganesh’s face and Goddess Lakshmi’s body, besides displaying various other Hindu religious symbols.

Rajan Zed, in an earlier statement, said that inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi were highly revered in Hinduism and they were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used in selling beer for mercantile greed.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed had argued.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune and beauty and is also known as ‘world-mother’. Moksh (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.

Brookvale Union, reportedly first founded in 1950, and said to be “always open”, defines itself as “Complex yet simple, safe but dangerous, smooth yet sharp, light but loose”. Its Ginger Beer comes in 500 mL bottles in a box of 12 and is described as “Spicy yet mild, dry but wet, smooth yet sharp, tight but loose…”.

Brookvale, a suburb of northern Sydney in Warringah Council, is part of Northern Beaches region.

Media Release

Brookvale Union addresses criticism over controversial product and invites designers to create new ginger beer label

Here at Brookvale Union, we take pride in producing great tasting drinks and we think we’ve nailed that on the head with our alcoholic Ginger Beer and Apple Cider. However, it seems we have unintentionally offended our Hindu friends with the imagery on our Ginger Beer packaging and because we’re lovers, not fighters, we want to make it right.

Brookvale Union is asking graphic designers, artists, and even doodlers who think they can rise up to the challenge to put pen on paper and better the existing design. Take inspiration from wherever you want, you just have to adhere to the following brief:

Ensure your submission aligns with the Brookvale Union brand – refer to the website, existing Apple Cider and Ginger Beer bottles and cartons, Facebook and Instagram pages for inspiration

To the best of the designers’ knowledge, do not use imagery that may be deemed offensive

Keep our tagline of ‘Quality Nonsense’ in mind

Submissions will be accepted until 5pm on Sunday, 24 November and should be sent to brookvaleunion@gmail.com.

The chosen design will become part of the new branding for the Brookvale Union range and featured on bottles, packaging and marketing material.

We’ve received feedback from many Hindu’s over the last few days – some find the label offensive, others do not. Nevertheless, it was not our intention to offend a group of people. Brookvale Union is about great tasting, fun beverages and not about disrespecting anyone or their beliefs.

We have subsequently apologised for any distress caused and begun the process of removing the images from the website. We are now focused on redesigning the Ginger Beer which hopefully all can be happy with!

Brookvale Union. Complex yet simple, safe but dangerous, smooth yet sharp, tight but loose, clever but not always right.

For more information or any questions, please contact brookvaleunion@gmail.com

Media Release

Perturbed Hindus urge withdrawal of Ganesh-Lakshmi Australian beer

Upset Hindus have urged Brookvale (New South Wales, Australia) based “Brookvale Union” brewery to apologize and withdraw its ginger beer carrying juxtaposed images of Hindu deities Ganesh and Lakshmi, calling it highly inappropriate.

Label at this ginger beer bottle juxtaposes image of Lord Ganesh’s face and Goddess Lakshmi’s body, besides displaying various other Hindu religious symbols.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi were highly revered in Hinduism and they were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used in selling beer for mercantile greed.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed argued.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune and beauty and is also known as ‘world-mother’. Moksh (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.

Brookvale Union, reportedly first founded in 1950, and said to be “always open”, defines itself as “Complex yet simple, safe but dangerous, smooth yet sharp, light but loose”. Its Ginger Beer comes in 500 mL bottles in a box (also carrying same Ganesh-Lakshmi juxtaposed image) of 12 and is described as “Spicy yet mild, dry but wet, smooth yet sharp, tight but loose…”.

Brookvale, a suburb of northern Sydney in Warringah Council, is part of Northern Beaches region.