Movies - TV
The Bizarre Beer Cut Of Star Wars Is Real, And George Lucas Hated It
By RAFAEL MOTAMAYOR
"Star Wars" has entered every aspect of pop culture, including a series of beer commercials that aired on Chilean Canal 13 in the early 2000s.
When the original trilogy aired in Chile, ad agency OMD Santiago planned to run in-movie adverts for Cristal Beer. However, it created awkward cuts in the film.
Instead, they spliced the beer into the film itself. One example in “A New Hope” is Obi-Wan Kenobi reaching for a Cerveza Cristal rather than getting Luke his father’s lightsaber.
OMD Santiago's "La fuerza está con Cerveza Cristal" campaign was unique and bold, winning a major award for advertising at Cannes. However, not everyone liked it.
George Lucas' lawyers at Lucasfilm were not happy about the ad campaign, as it could mislead viewers into thinking Cerveza Cristal was actually a part of “Star Wars.”
Lucas' team filed a complaint with the Chilean Council for Self-Regulation and Advertising Ethics. The council had ruled in favor of Lucas, and the ad was not allowed to run on TV.