Ghandi-Bot, the Beer that Splits America and India

They are thousands of kilometers apart, yet, the decision by New England Brewing Company in Connecticut, USA, to name its brand of beer, supposedly targeting predominant Hindu audience (home and abroad) boomerangs and may be needing a makeover within the local United States primary audience and the far away targets in India.

Gandhi-bot, product launch gone wrong?

The controversy stems from a recent release of its brand, Gandhi-Bot, that draws condemnation in the US and India for the beer that carries the name and likeness of Mahatma Gandhi, who abhors alcohol and therefore interpreted as insult. The orange beer cans feature a silver robotic personification of the Indian revolutionary, a portrait that New England Brewing intended as an homage and respectful celebration.

Although New England Brewing Company says it was trying to pay tribute to the man who led India to independence from British rule and is a hero of nonviolent protest across the globe, others feel it’s a commercial insult motivated by profit.

An act of parliament in India, National Honour Act of 1971 forbids and prevents insults at national figures has pushed the case to court in India and in the United States there are pressure on stockist to stop patronage. There have been claims of dead threats, but New England Brewing Company says Gandhi’s grandson and granddaughter even “expressed their admiration for the label,” the brewer claims according to international media reports.

New England Brewing began in 2003 with a goal to brew the very best beers by using only the very best ingredients and they are the first craft brewery in Connecticut to use can for year-round beers and only the third in the country to use cans. On its Facebook page on Thursday says that the Gandhi-Bot beer was intended “to include the things and people in the world that have inspired us.” It says it’s now looking for a way to “amend this situation.”

Critics say they are disgusted that the likeness of Gandhi, who frowns at alcohol, would be used for commerce, particularly to promote beer. But New England says, “We take great care in creating a product we hope will not be abused in the manner that Mahatma Gandhi spoke of when referencing alcohol,” in a statement. “So many Indian people here in America love our tribute to him. We hope that you understand our true intent and learn to respect our method and the freedom we have to show our reverence for Gandhi.”

If you’ve ever created a product only to see it fall flat on its face then you will understand efforts by New England to apologise. The big brands like Coke, IBM, and Pepsi, with all the resources at their fingertips, would never release a disastrous product. But you’d be wrong. As it turns out, the history books are littered with product launches gone bad – some costing literally hundreds of millions of Naira.