Poland's Roman Catholic church has demanded the withdrawal of a pre-Christmas TV advertisement which shows a "fourth Wise Man" presenting the infant Jesus with a can of the energy drink, Red Bull. "Such exploitation of Christmas traditions is scandalous," Bishop Tadeusz Pieronek, a professor of church law, told the Dziennik daily newspaper.
"There are certain values which must not be abused, and in this Red Bull advert we see religion being instrumentalised."
The 74-year-old bishop was reacting to the 30-second adverts, screened by Poland's independent Polsat, TVN and MTV channels, as well as in cinemas, which show the Holy Family being visited in the Bethlehem stable by four, rather than three, Wise Men.
One carries a box of cans and tells a tired Virgin Mary, "Mary, Red Bull is an energy drink which gives you wings. How else could the heavenly host keep it up?"
A director of Poland's State radio and TV council, Anna Szydlowska-Zurawska, said the media-monitoring body had received several complaints from offended viewers.
It was awaiting an opinion from its advertising committee, which dismissed earlier complaints against Red Bull in July for an advert depicting the Tibetan Dalai Lama using the drink to teach followers to fly.
The advert was defended by Austrian-owned Red Bull GmbH, whose 4000-staff company sells three billion 250-millilitre cans each year in 130 countries and claims a turnover of 2.6 billion euros (US$3.8 billion).
"We had no intention of injuring anyone's religious feelings," a Polish representative, Anna Czerniecka, told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.
"Many firms look ahead to Christmas in November and December. People could just as easily be offended to see Christmas cribs in alcohol shops."
The Catholic church, to which 95 percent of Poland's 38 million citizens belong, has frequently objected to religious images in company promotions, including giant posters by the Italian firm, United Colours of Benetton, showing a priest kissing a nun.
In 2001, Polish church leaders attacked the British-based Norwich Union insurance giant for allegedly using upturned crosses and black cats in advertising.
In 2005 it took exception to an advert by the Reserved fashion chain, purporting to show a handsome young priest grinning enticingly in the firm's new-look jeans.
Sociologist Krzysztof Lecki dismissed claims that Poles were "over-sensitive", but said the latest controversy would act to promote Red Bull, which uses a herb and chemical recipe from Thailand.
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