Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Beer In Ads #3682: Bowling League For Miller Lite

By

Tuesday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from the 1980s. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features a celebrity roster of former Lite Beer personalities posing as two bowling teams with the tagline “Lite Beer: The Winner in Any League.” I count at least 22 people in the ad, although I suspect part of the ad is cut off since it feels like something may be missing. I don’t know everyone in the photo, but I do see Bubba Smith, Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Ben Davidson, Truman Capote, John Madden, Rodney Dangerfield, and Boog Powell. Who else do you see?

Here’s a better image of the assembled folks.

Beer In Ads #3681: Red Auerbach For Miller Lite

By

Monday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1982. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features American professional basketball coach and executive Red Auerbach, who was a head coach in the NBA, most notably with the Boston Celtics. He was also the head coach of the Washington Capitols and Tri-Cities Blackhawks. As a coach, Auerbach set NBA records with 938 wins and nine championships.

Beer In Ads #3680: Miller Lite On Mt. Rushmore

By

Sunday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1983. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features four Lite Beer spokesmen on caricature drawing of Mt. Rushmore, including American former professional baseball player who played first base for the Baltimore Orioles Boog Powell, American professional football player and actor Bubba Smith, American former football player, sports commentator, and actor Dick Butkus, and American football player, a defensive end best known for his play with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League Ben Davidson.

Beer In Ads #3679: L.C. Greenwood & Bob Uecker For Miller Lite

By

Saturday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1986. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one mentions American politician, actor, television presenter, political commentator, author, and retired professional wrestler Jesse Ventura, but in the text it turns out he was really American professional football player who was a defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers L.C. Greenwood, and there’s also American former Major League Baseball player and current sportscaster, comedian, and actor Bob Uecker as the Masked Marauder.

Beer In Ads #3678: Jesse Ventura For Miller Lite

By

Friday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1989. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features American politician, actor, television presenter, political commentator, author, and retired professional wrestler Jesse Ventura, and also American former Major League Baseball player and current sportscaster, comedian, and actor Bob Uecker as the Masked Marauder.

It looks like Ventura was the ultimate winner, unsurprisingly.

Robert Frost’s Beer Bath

By

Here’s a fun story. Today is the birthday of American poet Robert Frost. “His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early 20th century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime and is the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He became one of America’s rare ‘public literary figures, almost an artistic institution.’ He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works.”

Publisher and author Bill Peschel related a story from 1935 that involved some beer that found its way to Frost.

Robert Frost was an irascible poet, jealous of rivals, and called by at least one friend as Yahweh. Any slight, real or perceived, was paid back, with interest.

Such as the case in Santa Fe, N.M., where Frost had been invited to speak at the city’s New Mexico Museum. At the event the day before, local poet Witter Bynner had been scheduled to introduce the poet, but had showed up late. While there may have been a good reason for his tardiness, it may also have been an intentional slight over Frost’s greater success with the public.

So Frost was deliberately late the next day at a lunch held in his honor at Bynner’s house. Then, they clashed over a book of poetry that praised homosexuality. While Frost found the subject distasteful, he went along with Bynner’s praise, even saying that he had a favorite poem. Could he read it aloud?

Bynner passed the book to him. Frost read one of the more erotically charged passages, then teased Bynner, saying he was “too young and innocent to understand such verse.” Bynner responded angrily by pouring a mug of beer over Frost’s head.

Frost got the explosion he wanted, so he took the bath in good humor. As a friend later remarked, “Robert took great pleasure in setting the cat among the pigeons.”

Beer In Ads #3677: L.C. Greenwood & Bert Jones For Miller Lite

By

Thursday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1984. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features former American professional football player who was a defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers L.C. Greenwood and former American football quarterback Bert Jones, who played for the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams.

Beer In Ads #3676: Marv Throneberry For Miller Lite

By

Wednesday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1982. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features American Major League Baseball player Marv Throneberry, who was affectionately known as “Marvelous Marv.” He was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern record for most losses in a season with 120.

Beer In Ads #3675: Bubba Smith & Dick Butkus For Miller Lite

By

Tuesday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1982. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one again features former football defensive end Bubba Smith and former football player, sports commentator, and actor Dick Butkus, this time in a ski lodge.

This one below is a little clearer, but more askew.

Beer In Ads #3674: Leonard “Truck” Robinson For Miller Lite

By

Monday’s ad is for “Miller Lite,” from 1988. This ad was made for the Miller Brewing Co., and was part of their long-running “Tastes Great!…Less Filling!” advertising campaign. It was created in 1973 by the McCann-Erickson Worldwide ad agency and was ranked by Advertising Age magazine as the eighth best advertising campaign in history. They were primarily television commercials but they did create print ads to support the TV spots. They began with a trend of using former athletes along with a few notable celebrities that continued throughout the campaign. This one features American retired professional basketball player and coach Leonard “Truck” Robinson, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Washington Bullets (1974–77), Atlanta Hawks (1977), New Orleans Jazz (1977–79), Phoenix Suns (1979–82), and New York Knicks (1982–85).