Vodka Billboard in Manhattan Deemed Anti-Semitic

The folks at Wódka vodka are no strangers to edgy marketing strategies – for example, Wódka vodka: escort quality, hooker pricing. Brilliant. However, this time around, it seems the Wódka camp, and their ad firm for that matter, have trod a bit too far down the controversy path for some tastes. Roughly 24 hours after the vodka makers unveiled a billboard on the West Side Highway in New York City that read, “Christmas Quality Hanukkah Pricing” with one dog (a Chihuahua) in a Santa hat and another (an Afghan hound) in a yarmulke, said billboard has been removed what for an ensuing uproar.

“In a crude and offensive way of trying to make a point that their vodka is high quality and inexpensive, the billboards evoke a Jewish holiday to imply something that is cheap and of lesser value when compared to the higher value of a Christian holiday. Particularly with the long history of anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews and money, with the age-old notion that Jews are cheap, to use the Jewish holiday in dealing with issues of money is clearly insensitive and inappropriate,” stated Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Ron Meier, prior to the billboard’s removal.

The Wódka vodka camp was quick to respond to attacks against the campaign.

"Although rarely serious, we apologize to anyone we may have offended through our holiday campaign and are removing our billboard immediately," the company tweeted.

“We’re surprised. We’re surprised people are vitriolically offended by what we’ve done. This is a premium vodka, at a value price. That’s all we’re saying, It’s all about value and quality,” explained Dale James, co-owner of Wódka vodka, in an interview with CBS Channel 2 News.

Incidentally, no word yet from either the Chihuahua or Afghan who were embroiled at the epicenter of the controversy.