| Agency | DDB Chicago |
|---|---|
| Client | Anheuser-Busch |
| Language | English |
| Media | radio, TV |
| Running time | 60″ (US radio and UK TV) 30″ (US TV) |
| Product | |
| Release date(s) | 1998 (US radio) 2001 (UK TV) 2003 (US TV) |
| Directed by | Tom Schiller, Tom Kuntz & Mike Maguire, Noam Murro, Greg Popp & John Immesoete[1] |
| Music by | Sam Stryke & Sandy Torano, Scandal Music, Chicago[2] |
| Starring |
|
| Production company | Coppos Films, Propaganda Films, Biscuit Filmworks, Partizan |
| Country |  United States United Kingdom |
Real Men of Genius is a series of advertisements, primarily 60-second American radio spots, for Bud Light beer. The campaign was originally conceived by copywriter Bob Winter and art director Mark Gross – and co-created with copywriter Bill Cimino – at DDB Chicago.[4]
The campaign began in 1998 under the title Real American Heroes with 12 radio spots.[3] Over 200 installments have been made.[3] In 2001, the radio version was adapted for television in the UK, advertising Budweiser beer instead of Bud Light (Bud Light was not officially distributed in the UK at the time). The six UK TV spots maintained the same one-minute format and ran for about 18 months.[4] In fall 2003, thirty-second versions of three UK TV spots were edited and seven new ads were produced for US television.[5]
Anheuser-Busch is reported to have spent $38 million per year broadcasting just the radio version.[6]
The singing was done by Dave Bickler, the lead singer of the band Survivor, known for such songs as "Eye of the Tiger" from the 1980s. The humorous, yet seriously spoken, commentary was done by voice actor Peter Stacker. Together, they made an appearance on the television show WGN Morning News and did a Real Men of Genius about the cameraman, which was a parody saying he falls asleep behind the video camera while recording the show.[7]
- ^ Schiller directed the 2001 TV spots "Mr. Horsedrawn Carriage Driver", "Mr. Nudist Colony Activities Coordinator", "Mr. Pro Wrestling Wardrobe Designer" and "Mr. Really Bad Toupee Wearer". Kuntz & Maguire co-directed "Mr. Foot-Long Hot Dog Inventor", also in 2001. In 2003 Murro helmed "Mr. Grocery Store Cart Wrangler ", "Mr. Way Too Much Cologne Wearer" and "Mr. Wedding Band Guitar Player" while Popp & Immesoete co-directed "Mr. Male Football Cheerleader", "Mr. Giant Taco Salad Inventor", "Mr. Really, Really, Really Bad Dancer" and "Mr. Silent Killer Gas Passer". Title and director of the sixth UK TV commercial are not known.
- ^ "2002 Television/Cinema Finalists" (PDF). London International Awards. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
- ^ a b c "Pete Stacker's Comedy Demo". Pete Stacker.
- ^ a b Mae Anderson (December 1, 2003). "'Genius' Gets Promotion". Adweek.
- ^ "Real American Heroes/Real Men of Genius Campaign". Marketing Campaign Case Studies. February 23, 2008.
- ^ Jeremy Mullman (June 30, 2008). "A-B Slashes Radio Spending". Advertising Age.
- ^ "The WGN Morning News". YouTube. 6 November 2007.