I agree with you in that I have no issue with the song itself nor the lyrics and indeed it is a subject that should be put into the public eye. My point was more that in advertising we have to accept that when you choose a song to promote your product you have to take all of it, not just the catchy parts! When you do choose a song for your ad/brand you are associating yourself with the song.
In this case perhaps the backlash they got was undeserved (the song is about school shootings but it’s purpose was possibly to raise awareness) but the point remains that song choice will always reflect on your product for better or worse.
But as always in marketing, a matter of opinion. Some would say the ‘backlash’ was great for the advertiser since any publicity is good publicity!

“All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, better run, better run – out run my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, better run, better run – faster than my bullet”

however the tune in the ad has been edited so the only line ever sung and its once at the end is

“All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, better run”

so The brewer responded to the criticism with its own post, defending its choice of song, saying the lyrics have “no association” with the ad is in fact correct. The brewer also responded “The tune was chosen for its popularity with our consumers and its catchy beat rather than its lyrics. We are comfortable that the part of the tune we have chosen within the ad doesn’t include anything controversial. It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone,”
The lyrics so many people have a problem with are never mentioned in the ad.

The song itself by Foster the people are written from the perspective of a troubled and delusional youth with homicidal thoughts.
Foster said, “I was trying to get inside the head of an isolated, psychotic kid.” He wrote the lyrics in order to “bring awareness” to the issue of gun violence amongst youth, which he feels is an epidemic perpetuated by “lack of family, lack of love, and isolation”.

The issue of youth violence is a matter close to the group. Foster was bullied in high school, while bassist Cubbie Fink has a cousin who survived the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Fink said of his cousin’s experience, “She was actually in the library when everything went down, so I actually flew out to be with her the day after it happened and experienced the trauma surrounding it and saw how affected she was by it. She is as close as a sister, so obviously, it affected me deeply. So to be able to have a song to create a platform to talk about this stuff has been good for us.”