In 2003, Chile’s Channel 13 was running George Lucas’ Star Wars movies and they had this crazy idea to insert beer ads into the movie! It was for Chile’s most popular beer brand, Cerveza Cristal, and this is a very unconventional advertising plan.
For example, when Obi-Wan is talking to Luke about his father, he says, “That reminds me. I have something for you.” In the film he gets up to get Anakin’s lightsaber, but in this version an ad is cut in showing Obi-Wan grabbing Luke a beer! I’ve included all of these ads for you to watch below.
They did not have permission from Lucasfilm to do this, so as you might imagine, George Lucas was not happy. So, in 2004, Lucas filed a grievance with the Chilean Council for Self-Regulation and Advertising Ethics.
As you’d expect, a judgment was ruled in Lucasfilm’s favor, and it was ordered that these commercials were not to be aired again. That didn’t stop them for showing up on YouTube, though!
The beer company went on to incorporate its beer into other movies like American Beauty, Gladiator and Notting Hill. You’re going to get a kick out of these!
