http://www.jsonline.com/business/ferrells-beer-ad-doesnt-get-any-better-than-this-ae3bqua-135240503.htmlActor-comedian Will Ferrell says he loves Old Milwaukee beer, the value-priced lager originally brewed by Schlitz but now brewed by Pabst.
Now Ferrell has taken his love of Old Milwaukee a step further with the production of a set of grainy, low-budget ads running as commercials in the Quad Cities region.
Is Ferrell serious, or is this all part of a tongue-in-cheek campaign cooked up by Ferrell's comedy website, FunnyorDie.com?
The Pabst Brewing Co., now based in Los Angeles, says the campaign is real.
"In the case of Old Milwaukee, Will Ferrell was a big fan of the brand," said Daren Metropoulos, Pabst's co-owner, in an email. "My brother Evan and I have many relationships with celebrities and artists and this is how we put these deals together."
Metropoulos said Ferrell was interested in "developing something unique and we allowed him the freedom to pursue his creative vision and produce these spots with a local vibe."
The local vibe belongs to Davenport, Iowa, one of the Quad Cities.
In one ad, Ferrell, dressed in a blue T-shirt with the word "Iowa," imprinted on the front, says that Davenport is an Old Milwaukee kind of town. Ferrell then walks through the letters of Davenport to describe the beer's attributes, but gives up in frustration.
In a second ad, Ferrell appears to be fishing on the Mississippi River, a can of Old Milwaukee nearby.
"When I'm not too busy being a big-time Hollywood phony," Ferrell says at the beginning, "I like to come out here to Davenport, sit on my favorite log and crack open an ice-cold Old Milwaukee." Ferrell then admits he's never been to Davenport, but says it's something he wanted to do, or something that looks like it would be fun to do.
And in the third ad, Ferrell emerges from the cold river water, doing a little "hand-fishing," he says, and pulls a can of Old Milwaukee out of the water.
Metropoulos said the ads began to run at the end of November in the Quad Cities area. "These towns were chosen because they are markets where 'Old Milwaukee' is widely consumed and Will wanted to do something for the loyal fans of the brand," he said.
Metropoulos said the company wanted to be methodical in its approach to the campaign and "keep a more grass-roots, organic feel to the spots."
He said there are no plans for a national ad campaign featuring Ferrell.
