Rock and Roll Meets Beer. Mmmm, Beer

Way back in 1967, Cream did a radio spot in the U.K. for Falstaff beer containing the immortal lines, "The beer that can slake any thirst/the beer you reach for first." It was probably the first rock star beer commercial.

One of the most famous campaigns where rock met beer was The Night Belongs to Michelob which ran in the United States during the late 80s. It featured several prominent rockers and/or their songs, including Roger Daltrey, Phil Collins, and Cream alumnus Eric Clapton who appeared in ads with his slowed-down 1988 version of After Midnight. Michelob's ad agency commissioned Steve Winwood to write an original song, which turned out to be Don't You Know What the Night Can Do and even enticed Frank Sinatra to appear in an ad.

While the artists who appeared for Michelob were accused by some of selling out, none suffered irreparable damage to his coolness. Not so the Marshall Tucker Band and .38 Special, who appeared in this ad for Schlitz Malt Liquor in 1984. Although Tucker's best days were behind them by that point, .38 Special was riding a three-year string of hits at the time. Said string ended about the time this ad ran, which probably wasn't the ad's fault, but it couldn't have helped.

Bull, indeed. A truer word was never spoken, although a second syllable seems to be missing.

Comments

[Bill V]

Michelob issued at least 2 different cassette compilations entitled "Night Hits". Mostly songs with "night" in the title, including the slow version of the Clapton song, Genesis' "Tonight Tonight Tonight", Wilson Pickett, "Self Control" by Laura Branigan. Played them to death as an underage college kid who preferred Rolling Rock and Husker Du.