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Demon energy drink 'promotes Satanism' in Poland

PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 10.08.2012 08:59
Right wing internet campaigners and journalists claim that an energy drink endorsed by Polish death metal star Nergal is, “promoting evil, atrocities and the destruction of human souls."

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screen shot at demonenergy.co.nz

“Soon, TVs and billboards in cities will be dripping with Satanism,” writes satanizmnieprzejdzie.pl, a web site calling for a boycott of all products by the Agros-Nova company, a soft drink and food manufacturer which will be producing the Demon energy brand in Poland.

Franciszek Kucharczak, editor of the religious Gość Niedzielny weekly magazine warns on the gosc.pl web site: “We have to fight against evil. We can not keep quiet and let young people be absorbed into destructive ideals”.

The campaigners' ire was raised when it was announced that Nergal, real name Adam Darski and the front man of death metal band Behemoth, has endorsed the marketing of the product in Poland.

Nergal was accused in 2007 of offending religious sentiment when he ripped up a copy of the Bible on stage in Krakow.

Public broadcaster TVP cancelled a contract with Nergal this year after protests called for him to be taken off a talent show contest after it was claimed he was a bad influence on the young.

The campaign against the Demon energy drink, originally produced in New Zealand under the slogan "No limits, No laws", has been supported by conservative MPs from the Law and Justice (PiS) opposition party, Stanisław Pięta and Artur Górski.

Nergal's supporters, however, say that the musician's endorsement of the product is all in a good cause, as part of the sales revenue will go to the DKMS foundation which helped the musician find a bone marrow donor after he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

“I decided to accept the offer to be a face of this energy drink called Demon. I've never been much of a fan of such drinks but I loved the idea behind it… the whole campaign is strongly connected with DKMS foundation (the one that found a bone marrow donor for myself),” Nergal says in a statement on his band's facebook page.

“The percentage of sales will be donated to the foundation and will make this whole business worthwhile for me. Besides, I loved the name and logo…so why the f**k not?"

PR industry expert Dariusz Tworzydło has told Polish Radio that the campaign against Nergal and the Demon energy drink is playing into the hands of the company that is marketing it.

“The protesters do not realise that the company chose the face of Nergal to endorse the product as a way to raise controversy,” he says.

“Our product […] has nothing to do with religion or Satanism, evil, or demoralization,” says Joanna Bancerowska from the Agros-Nova company.

The Demon energy drink’s critics are not satisfied, however.

“The problem is that both the name of the product and that it is being promoted by Mr. Adam Darski is bound to aid the cult of Satanism. This may have a devastating impact on [the young's] psyche,” says Father Krystian Charchut of Olesnica in Lower Silseia. (pg)

tags: Nergal, satanism
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