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(Courtesy Miller Lite)
Legendary football coach and TV personality John Madden, who died at 85 last year, may have done as much for Miller Lite commercials as he did for the sport.
And with the Super Bowl now behind us Miller Lite took the opportunity to celebrate the man and the commercials that he did for the brand back in the 80s.
As John Madden transitioned from coaching into the broadcast booth, he burst into American homes hoisting a Miller Lite for the first time in 1980, which at the time was a relative newcomer to the beer industry.
Madden’s commercials not only heralded the emergence of light beer as a ‘style’, it elevated the fun and whimsy now commonly associated with beer commercials, especially during football season.
Looking back, Madden credited the ads in helping him get into broadcasting, a career that gave him fame and fortune, while showcasing his bigger-than-life personality and deep knowledge of football.
The commercials helped elevate both Madden and light beer, Madden told BroBible in 2016.
“(It was) a game-changer for me, it was a game-changer for drinkers. I mean, light beer – this was 40 years ago. People didn’t know about light beer. “I went from John Madden, the coach, to John Madden, the Miller Lite guy who breaks through the wall.
John Madden became part of a galaxy of sports stars who promoted Miller Lite during the ‘80s, including Joe Frazier and Mickey Mantle, as beer advertising increasingly showcased celebrities’ personalities and lifestyles rather than a bland endorsement.
On January 14 the Madden family hosted a public memorial for the legend in Oakland, Calif., and Miller Lite took that opportunity to invite fans s to leave their favorite memories of him on Twitter using the #MaddenMemories hashtag.
Miller Lite will donate $10 to the Madden Family Foundation for every Madden memory through the middle of March.
“If you heard John Madden talk about football, you knew you could trust what he was saying. That’s why having him promote Miller Lite was so powerful,” Michelle Nagel senior marketing manager for Miller Lite told Beer & Beyond. “John Madden was a legend before he was a fixture on TV, and we’re proud he chose to play a part in the Miller Lite story.”
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(All image credits: Miller Lite)
