Phila. hopes to flatten Pabst over beer murals

In a city famous for murals, some recent paintings on the sides of businesses and abandoned buildings seem to blend with Philadelphia's urban landscape.

But a closer inspection shows them to be advertisements for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Colt 45 malt liquor, which are brands sold by Pabst Brewing Company. They appear to be part of a national marketing campaign by the Illinois-based company.

Several business operators said they were paid to have the ads painted on their buildings and were told or assumed that it was legal.

However, the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections said they are breaking the law.

Spokeswoman Gayle Johns said the agency has issued citations to the property owners and to Pabst Brewing Company. If the ads aren't removed, the agency may take the violators to court.

Johns said the advertisements are violating zoning restrictions and Pabst did not obtain variances for its wall paintings, which are mainly located in Fishtown.

L&I was alerted to the ads by a watchdog group that fights the proliferation of outdoor advertising.

"You need more than the permission of the building's owner. You need the permission of the city," said Mary Tracy, executive director of SCRUB, which stands for Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight.

Several years ago, SCRUB targeted graffiti-style ads put up by Sony for its PlayStation Portable video-game system. The city forced the company to remove the ads.

Tracy said she considers the Pabst campaign to be a similar "guerrilla marketing" effort.

Pabst did not respond to a request for comment.

Three business operators who have the ads said they were unaware of any complaints.

"I think it's totally silly," said Jeff Rosenblum, owner of Jay's Pedal Power on Girard Avenue.

Rosenblum said SCRUB should go after big billboards and leave small business operators like himself alone.

Painted on a wall next to his bike shop is a graffiti-style ad for Colt 45. It shows young people dancing in a party setting while they drink the malt liquor. It features the Colt 45 slogan: "Works Everytime."

Rosenblum said he reviewed the design beforehand and "personally did not see anything offensive."

But urban community leaders have criticized ads for malt liquor, which are often located in minority neighborhoods. Malt liquor has a higher alcohol content and can be bought for cheap in 40-ounce bottles.

"This is the kind of thing you wouldn't put in a wealthy neighborhood," Tracy said.

She said her group's complaint was focused on the legal issue, not the message. But "when you have alcohol, it kind of stings a little harder than other products," she said.

She also called it an "outrage" for the brewing company to mimic the city's murals for its marketing of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

"They think as long as they paid someone to do their advertising, it's okay - regardless of the laws, regardless of the neighborhood's sentiment," she said.

Bob Sola, 36, who lives on Palmer Street around the corner from the bike shop, said the Colt 45 ad is "wrong on so many levels."

Sola, a school counselor, said the graffiti-style painting was meant to appeal to children.

"It's obviously not geared to a 35-year-old man," he said.

He was also upset with the bike shop, calling the decision to put up the ad "inconsiderate."

"I'll never buy another thing from Jay's Pedal Power," Sola said.

"People in the neighborhood have to stand up," he said, "or your neighborhood will look like crap."