Yes, it's free publicity and yes, it's business-as-usual.
As such, those responsible for the Star Liquor outlet's wall-sized and bumper sticker slogans in Stanthorpe, also seen in other towns and some cities, continues to offend with no response from the company to our questioning about a petition put forward expressing discontent.
The company's Mission Statement says they take the time to "understand" the communities they operate in, before doing so, aligning their services to these understood community "values".
Our newspaper previously reported that the vast majority we polled were offended by the "Drinks as Cold as Your Ex" slogan while the adjacent, "Mates Looking After Mates" had less controversy but just as much punch, in bold red.
As also reported, Southern Downs Regional Council confirmed that the company had not made the appropriate application for the vibrant colours used, and this was queried by at least half of our pollsters too, given the outlet's proximity to the Heritage-listed Central Hotel nextdoor.
Have Star since applied, in retrospect, for such colours, regardless of the promotional wording? Council informed us they are "continuing discussions with the operator about the approval conditions" while "working toward compliance in a cooperative manner".
"The approval process will take some time, with no definitive timeframe available at this point," a council spokesperson said.
Meantime we polled readers and passersby about this slogan, above more wall space, that reads, "Good Drinks for Good People".
Again, males and females from age 20 to 74 years expressed discomfort in this wording. A strong 82 percent said "Yes, this slogan gives the wrong message about alcohol".
"Why would the drinks in there be 'good'?" one asked, "Are they selling milk?"
Her companion asking if Star are "suggesting alcoholics are 'good people'?"
A local passerby who said he does not shop there said, "Does this mean if you don't drink, you aren't a 'good' person?"
Of the 66 people we spoke to about this third theme, only two said they "weren't concerned about the messaging" while those in neither camp declined to comment.
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