• by Erin DeJesus , July 14, 2009

Australian beer brand Skinny Blonde isn't exactly known for its subtlety. When it first hit shelves in March, Skinny Blonde gained a reputation as the world's first nsfw brew: Thanks to "revolutionary ink technology" on the bottle's label, the voluptuous bikini-clad woman in the brand's illustrated logo loses her top as the beer gets colder. The label, designed by Sydney creative company Republic of Everyone, was hailed by the UK's Times Online as a "savvy, apparently world-first marketing ploy." And this summer, the brand's quietly-launched new Web site (skinnyblonde.com.au/sixpack) took the titillating concept a step further. With a few quick clicks, visitors could undress a six-pack of real-life, skinny blond models, enticing them to remove their tops by holding down a thermometer ("See what happens," the site implored, "when a skinny blonde gets hot").

In line with the practice of using breasts to sell beer (Pam Anderson did get her start as a Labatt girl, after all, and then there's St. Pauli Girl), the Skinny Blonde team originally embraced the "sex sells" philosophy. "The label and Web site are in no way meant to offend women or anyone else," said Hamish Rosser, one of the brand's three cofounders. "Rather, [they] embrace Australian beach culture. Our next campaign may well feature a Skinny Bloke!"
But after less than two weeks of eyefuls for visitors (and more than 100,000 total page views, most of them originating from the United States and Japan), the site's stripping feature was unceremoniously removed, thanks to complaints from both Women's Forum Australia and the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation - the latter even called for an investigation by the Advertising Standards Bureau, per the Herald Sun. And Rosser - randomly, he's also the drummer for Australian rock band The Vines - quickly changed his tune. "Skinny Blonde has received a serious complaint about the website and thought it pertinent to remove any material that may be deemed offensive," he said in a canned statement.