In the late 1990s, Bud Light ran a series of commercials paying tribute to Real Men Of Genius. Conceived by copywriter Bob Winter and art director Mark Gross – and co-created with copywriter Bill Cimino – at DDB Chicago, the hilarious commercials mockingly honored Mr. Humongous Pumpkin Grower Guy, Mr. Pro Football Coach Cord Carrier, Mr. Parking Attendant Flashlight Waver, Mr. Restroom Paper Refiller, Mr. Backyard Bug Zapper Inventor, Mr. Over-Zealous Foul Ball Catcher, Mr. Giant Foam Finger Maker, and many more.
Now, Anheuser-Busch has revived the idea, with a twist. The targets of satire are now Internet Heroes Of Genius, and while they’re not as funny as the originals were, they’re still pretty clever. The new campaign includes titles such as “Snapchat Lens Creator,” “Corporate Social Media Manager,” and my favorite, “Person Still Using Their Middle School Email.”
If you want to listen to some of the original spots, there’s a compilation of Bud Light Real Men Of Genius commercials here.