10magnum007
The master mind of JFK
- Sep 10, 2010
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Ferret friends: Eddie Verdon of Orangevale didn't seek any money for himself, he wants it understood. The self-proclaimed wildlife preservationist says he primarily wanted to help the North American black-footed ferret.
Verdon also is -- or rather was -- a self-proclaimed fan of Budweiser beer. Inspired by Anheuser-Busch's television advertisements featuring a trio of frogs back in 1995, Verdon says he sent in ideas for ads featuring other animals to pitch Bud's suds -- alligators, penguins, ferrets. He hoped some cash generated by such ads could go toward wildlife preservation.
Sure enough, alligators, penguins and ferrets began showing up in Bud commercials in the next couple of years. But checks and thank-yous did not start showing up in Verdon's mail box.
That's because the people who developed the commercials had no contact with Verdon's ideas, said the brewer's legal department when Verdon wrote to complain. That his ideas may have been similar was pure coincidence.
Along the way, though, the brewer did ask Verdon to sign a couple of pieces of paper that gave away the store. The non-confidentiality agreements mean that he released the brewer from "any liability because of its use of all or any portion of the ideas" he sent in.
Verdon hasn't given up hope entirely.
"The letters from the lawyers mention the alligator and the penguin, but they don't say anything about the ferret," Verdon notes.
Verdon also is -- or rather was -- a self-proclaimed fan of Budweiser beer. Inspired by Anheuser-Busch's television advertisements featuring a trio of frogs back in 1995, Verdon says he sent in ideas for ads featuring other animals to pitch Bud's suds -- alligators, penguins, ferrets. He hoped some cash generated by such ads could go toward wildlife preservation.
Sure enough, alligators, penguins and ferrets began showing up in Bud commercials in the next couple of years. But checks and thank-yous did not start showing up in Verdon's mail box.
That's because the people who developed the commercials had no contact with Verdon's ideas, said the brewer's legal department when Verdon wrote to complain. That his ideas may have been similar was pure coincidence.
Along the way, though, the brewer did ask Verdon to sign a couple of pieces of paper that gave away the store. The non-confidentiality agreements mean that he released the brewer from "any liability because of its use of all or any portion of the ideas" he sent in.
Verdon hasn't given up hope entirely.
"The letters from the lawyers mention the alligator and the penguin, but they don't say anything about the ferret," Verdon notes.
