This is almost funny. According to the New York Post, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a $3 million deal to appear in a Super Bowl ad for Bud Light. Schwarzenegger is a longtime beer drinker, having once quipped. “Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.” When he first became California governor, when many called him “The Governator,” Portland Brewing even created Governator Ale. Despite him being a public figure as governor, Arnie’s legion of lawyers sued, claiming that they had engaged in “unauthorized exploitation of what they considered the governor’s right of publicity” and production ceased after only 3,200 cases of the beer was produced. I still have a bottle in my office.
According to the Post article. “The former California governor has agreed to a deal to star in the humorous beer ad, despite his personal focus on health and fitness.” It won’t be the first time he’s shilled for beer companies before, having done a couple in Japan years ago, a few of which can be found on YouTube, although the quality of most of them isn’t very good. Frankly, they look more like an energy drink than a beer, but apparently an unnamed source told the Post. “Arnold has shot a series of ads in Japan but pretty much hasn’t done anything in the US.” YouTube also has a compilation claiming to show Schwarzenegger’s complete Japanese ads.
Schwarzenegger Beer Ad #1
Schwarzenegger Beer Ad #2
Schwarzenegger Beer Ad #3
Interesting story Jay but I didn’t follow the part that reads, “This from a man…”. If in fact he always thought drinking beer was a good idea for adults, isn’t this consistent with appearing in a beer ad? I don’t see the apparent contradiction suggested by the words “this from a man” in other words.
Gary
I’d originally thought about comparing his fitness advocacy, but then changed my mind, without changing that sentence, though now, hopefully, it makes more sense.