Drinking Smart

I first wrote about Stampede Light almost two-and-a-half years ago in February 2006. It’s a contract beer out of Dallas, Texas, and is billed as the first “vitamin” beer. Joe Owades, the inventor of low-calorie light beer, helped founder Lawrence Schwartz develop the recipe. I tend to think beer is essentially healthy enough and am not a big fan of “enhanced” beers generally.

Stampede Brewing has just launched an ad campaign with the tagline “Drink Smart” featuring actress/singer Jessica Simpson.

From the press release:

Multi-platinum singer. Movie star. Philanthropist. Entrepreneur. Beer drinker?

Everyone knows about Jessica Simpson’s daisy dukes body and healthy lifestyle. The all-American beauty and world-renowned entertainer has a passion for working out and making healthy food choices. But she also makes those smart choices with the beer she drinks. “Yes, I work out and take care of myself, but I also like a cold beer once in a while,” Simpson said. A new light beer with functional additives is Simpson’s new favorite beer — Stampede Light Plus®

Now it’s probably not fair. I obviously don’t know Jessica Simpson personally. I haven’t really followed her career, though from what I’ve seen of her public persona she doesn’t seem particularly quick-witted. But perhaps privately she’s quite sharp. Oh, and according to the New York Daily News, she also owns 15% of Stampede Brewing. Here’s the first “Drink Smart” ad for Stampede Light.

Again, I’m trying really hard not to sound like a jerk, but there seems to be a disconnect between the image and the text. This is just not the face of smart drinking. It looks more to me like she’s confused or about to sneeze. What do you think her expression conveys?