Post #28 by varon is notably sage.
I think I'll avoid Anheuser-Busch in the future. If they don't have any better taste or judgment than this, it's bound to be reflected in their products.
Back in the early summer of 1990 the southern Indiana town of Petersburg suffered severe local river flooding that knocked out their water treatment plant and sewage plant. No big problem; the governor had a couple of local National Guard units move their water tankers and trailers down there, and a local dairy suplied empty gallon milk jugs until the water subsided and emergency pumps could be reinstalled.
Then on the afternoon of june 2nd around 5PM, out of a more or less clear sky, a tornado hit the town with precious little warning, destroying one local elementry school, several churches, at least two dozen of the city's downtown stores and businesses and dozens of homes. At least seven local residents were killed, and conditions for those going house to house looking for survivors and bodies were not pleasant and more than a little dangerous. To compound the problems that first evening as the sun was setting, thousands of roofing shingles had been ripped loose from homes, and where they came to rest, about half had the nails in them pointing upward. The first dozen or so ambulances and state police cars to respond didn't get far, but we made it through that first night, with rain and warnings of additional tornadic winds a constant threat. It was bad.
The Salvation Army, Mormons, Red Cross and other relief agencies had response units ready to move in but the streats had to be cleared of smashed trees, thrown vehicles and a few redeposited buildings before they could get in, and those shingles and tiles had to be cleared off the streets as well. And, of course, there was still no usable water.
The first truck to make it into town didn't wait: it was an eighteen-wheel semitrailer with eighteen flats flopping and slapping as it staggered down the street at around 5 miles an hour. The fact that it was a Budweiser beer trailer only added to the irony of the moment.
When it stopped, they started unloading on the spot. The St Louis Anheuser-Busch breweries had filled plain white cans that hadn't received their complete markings with water, six to the pack, 24 to the case, cases and cases and cases on pallets in the truck. More trucks followed the first one after the streets had been swept, but the deliberate sacrifice of the tires on that one truck was a Godsend that next morning, and just exactly the boost in morale that a lot of tired, wet, overworked, hungry and thirsty rescuers and relief workers needed. I''ll never forget how Budweiser came through for us down there that week, even if their ad agency's ads may sometimes come out trashy or tacky. That truckdriver got his load through to us just as sweet as any load of beer kegs ever pulled by Clydesdales. Though Budweiser was never a particular favourite of mine, it has been ever since.
Of course, they may have sent trailers full of water elsewhere too. I only know about that one place.
June 2, 1990 Outbreak - The largest outbreak of tornadoes ever in Indiana, 37 tornadoes ripped across 31 counties killing 8 people. Downtown Petersburg was severely damaged. Across the Midwest this outbreak produced 64 tornadoes in 9 states, with 9 people killed.