Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Molson Coors Brewing Co., the third- largest U.S. brewer, ended a Canadian photo contest on social- networking Web site Facebook Inc. a week early after university administrators complained that it glorified excessive drinking.

Managers stopped the marketing campaign on Nov. 23 because ``the intent was being misinterpreted,'' Molson spokesman Ferg Devins said today in an interview.

The Denver- and Montreal-based company began the Facebook photo contest in late October to promote new slim cans for its Molson Canadian beer. The contest asked Canadian universities to compete for the title ``No. 1 party school,'' and the student who submitted the winning photo will get a trip to Cancun, Mexico.

Administrators from universities including Queen's University, McMaster University and St. Francis Xavier University criticized the contest in the Globe and Mail newspaper on Nov. 23, prompting Molson to end it a week earlier than planned.

``We were concerned that this misinterpretation and misperception might continue to grow,'' Devins said. ``We are committed to the marketing and selling of our products in a responsible manner.''

The intention of the contest was to show ``school spirit and sociability,'' the Molson spokesman said. Before the newspaper story, Molson had received two complaints, Devins said. Three parents called to complain after the article ran.

Molson isn't allowing any of the 200 photos submitted to Facebook's ``Molson Canadian Nation'' group to be viewed since it ended the contest, he said.

Contest Winner

Memorial University of Newfoundland won the competition because it had the most photos submitted with 69 entries, Molson said. The winning student will be selected later this week after Molson officials confirm that people in the photo are of legal drinking age.

Most of Canada's 10 provinces and three territories set the legal drinking age at 19 years and older. Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba allow alcohol consumption at 18.

Paul Wood, associate vice president of student affairs at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said he was pleased that Molson took ``very prompt action'' to end the photo contest early. He remains concerned that some students' pictures may have been viewed by prospective employers or graduate schools.

``We have two major concerns: first with the aspect of promoting a contest that wants students to send in pictures of themselves engaging in excessive drinking or dangerous behavior,'' Wood said. Second, students ``don't understand the danger of the public-ness of Facebook. You're not anonymous.''

Molson Coors is the third-largest U.S. brewer behind Anheuser-Busch Cos. and SABMiller Plc.

Facebook is the second-most popular social-networking site behind MySpace, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Molson Coors fell $1.45, or 2.8 percent, to $50.34 at 4:03 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest decline in three weeks. The shares have advanced 32 percent this year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mary Jane Credeur in Atlanta at mcredeur@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 26, 2007 16:08 EST