Barbara Lippert on Miller beer ads

Barbara Lippert at Ad Week discusses the notorious Miller "cat fight" TV spot and the swill-brewer's followup plans.

Although the Mideast conflict has produced a schizophrenic TV universe (with some networks and stations operating as if nothing has changed), perhaps the war's most surprising media casualty so far is Pamela Anderson.

The latest word from Miller is that the star's much-awaited spot has been temporarily bobbed. Naturally, if you're appealing to the boobeoise by showing bikinied women at work in the water, you might as well go to the great master. Nevertheless, it seems that showing girl-on-girl-on-girl pillow fights (six breasts, no waiting) was deemed to be in bad taste while our military is battling it out in Baghdad.

The "cat fight" ad is also off the air for the duration. Lippert dissects three other followup ads in the works. In one sequel,

The tables are turned and the fighters are hunky men—the kind of hot young guys with 'fros who look like they'd get thrown off American Idol for passing bad checks. They're about to fight when one of them pulls back and says, "I'd like to create a friendship where we support each other's growth." By the end, he's taken his top off, saying, "This shirt is chafing me."

Funny and insightful column, worth reading in full.

Posted on Mon, Apr 7, 2003 at 1:30 PM

I have always liked your stuff Bill N

Posted by: Bill Northrop on May 28, 2003 06:36 PM