Too much Asahi Super Dry beer for new Boston Red Sox Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka?
Yep, it seems this guy is having too much beer lately.
Daisuke Matsuzaka has yet to throw his very first curve ball for the Boston Red Sox and yet, he has already raised a couple of eyebrows within the organization. Apparently, this guy is downing too much beer lately, and the Red Sox organization watched him drinking all them beers on TV.
A slick commercial for Asahi ”Super” Dry beer features Boston’s new Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka donning a Red Sox jersey and throwing in full uniform in front of a simulated frenzied throng.
In between those shots, the same Daisuke Matsuzaka, in street clothes, is shown first taking a couple of gulps from a large glass of beer. After a quick cut, the shot returns to Matsuzaka downing the beer and, with foam on his lips, smiling and sighing contentedly.
Nice. But we all saw that with the ”Got Milk?” campaign already… ANYWAY…
Sports athletes drinking beer in TV advertisements is normal in Japan, but in the United States, it’s a big NO NO. In the United States, beer can’t be consumed in TV ads and Major League Baseball (MLB) teams does not allow any of its players endorsing any kind of alcohol.
So why do we have Daisuke Matsuzaka in an Asahi ”Super” Dry beer? As it turns out, the ”no drinking of alcohol on TV” rule does not apply to international markets.
”The ad is consistent with what’s acceptable in the Japanese marketplace,” said a spokesperson from Major League Baseball International, which mandated that the ad include a ”Drink responsibly” message at the end. ”We did approve it with him drinking the beer outside of his uniform. It’s a type of commercial that is really commonplace in Japan. It is not really that far fetched.”
The MLB International spokesperson, who wished to remain anonymous, said Matsuzaka’s endorsement deal with Asahi preceded his signing with the Boston Red Sox.
Suuure. Whatever.
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