Caledonia Spirits—the Montpelier, Vermont-based distiller of Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka—announced today that it will pause all advertising on Facebook and Instagram, effective today, as part of the #StopHateForProfit campaign.
The distillery joins a growing list of companies across the country that have decided to take a strong stand against Facebook, Inc., for its failure to properly address hate speech and misinformation on its social media platforms. Launched by a civil rights coalition that includes the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the #StopHateForProfit campaign has called on brands to halt their advertising on Facebook to send a message to the social media giant about its inaction on this issue.
“Our company is built on a strong set of values that typically come to life in our support of our community, farmers, and pollinators,” said Caledonia Spirits VP of marketing Harry Kahn. “Although we don’t do a lot of advertising, it’s important that we do what is right in every aspect of our business operations and we hope this action will inspire other companies to join us.”
Like many of the companies participating in the boycott, Caledonia Spirits’ advertising pause will last at least one month—and perhaps longer. The distillery had been running ads on Facebook and Instagram on a weekly basis—a tactic used by thousands of large and small businesses to reach new customers across the country.
“We’re hopeful that the power of this campaign will lead to real, meaningful change from Facebook,” Kahn said.