Youths ages 13-20 can compete to create the most effective riposte to the annual barrage of Super Bowl beer ads in a new contest created by the industry watchdog Marin Institute.

Billed as "the country's first anti-beer ad contest," the Free the Bowl competition will award prizes like an Apple MacBook and iPods to the creators of 30- to 60-second anti-beer ads.

"Year after year, Anheuser-Busch and the National Football League hide behind weak, ineffectual Beer Institute self-regulatory guidelines to justify exposing youth to exploitive alcohol ads," said Michael Scippa, advocacy director at the Marin Institute. "Big Alcohol turns a deaf ear to our protests, so we want them to listen to compelling messages from young people who resent being targeted as new customers." 

Anheuser-Busch is expected to spend up to $19 million on ads during the 2009 Super Bowl.

Deadline for contest entries is Jan. 25. The winner will be announced on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1. Ads created for the contest will be posted to YouTube.  For more details, see www.freethebowl.com.