THE makers of energy drink Red Bull have annoyed Catholics with a Christmas campaign ad in Italy, in which the product is presented to the baby Jesus by a fourth Wise Man.
The ad was pulled after an angry, humourphobic Italian priest demanded that it be scrapped because it was “blasphemous”.
Father Marco Damanti, from Sicily, wrote to the makers of Red Bull denouncing their commercial as “a blasphemous act” – and and the spineless company immediately agreed to to remove it from Italian television.
The advert depicts four wise men, instead of three, visiting Mary and the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The fourth wise man bears a carton of the soft drink.
“The image of the sacred family has been represented in a sacrilegious way,” whined Father Damanti. “Whatever the ironic intentions of Red Bull, the advert pokes fun at the nativity, and at Christian sensitivity.”
Oh, please!
The priest also objected to the company’s slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings,” said by a flock angels in the animated advert.
The commercial is by no means the first to fall foul of Italian religious sensibilities. Sony, fashion house Marithe et Francois Girbaud, and pop singer Madonna are among those whose adverts have been banned on the grounds of religion.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
December 20th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Maybe they should research a drink that gives them some balls…
January 4th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
why do people allow religion to dominate every aspect of their lives?!?!
the red bull advert was intended to be an amusing ADVERT, not an insult to catholocism
The Italians need to pull their heads out of their arses