This has to be a sad day in down in Shiner, Texas, population 2,070. It looks like native son Lance Armstrong has jilted good-old Texas-brewed Shiner Bock for Michelob Ultra.
Armstrong has signed a 3-year agreement to be the pitchman for the light beer brand owned by Belgium-based brewing giant Anheuser Busch InBev. The cyclist was in St. Louis on Tuesday to announce the partnership at an Anheuser-Busch sales and marketing event.
But we thought Shiner Bock was his favorite beer.
Endorsement
Armstrong will appear in two TV commercials entitled “Little Bumps” and “Escalator” that will be aired beginning in 2010. His likeness also will appear with Michelob Ultra print ads, packaging and sales displays.
A blog at St.LouisToday.com reports that Michelob Ultra sponsors the Livestrong Challenge bicycling events in cities across the US. I remember seeing their presence at this summer's LiveStrong bike ride in Seattle.
Here's what Armstrong's endorsement in a press release:
“I’m always making decisions that complement my active lifestyle, and this includes my beer choice when I want to enjoy a cold one with friends or when taking a break from training. I’m excited about my association with Michelob ULTRA, a brand that supports cycling and running communities across the U.S. and is a favorite among active adults.”
Shiner
Armstrong and LiveStrong earlier had an association with the Spoetzel Brewery, the maker of Shiner beer and the oldest brewery in Texas. The Shiner BASH, for instance, was a fund-raiser for Armstrong cancer awareness non-profit organization, and Shiner beer was served at the LiveStrong rides several years ago.
A deeper association than that, however, is Armstrong imbibing Shiner Bock. When I used to live in Austin, I remember it being common knowledge that Shiner was Armstrong's beer. In the 2004 book “Every Second Counts,” written with Sally Jenkins, Armstrong writes about a visit to a swimming hole near his ranch in Austin:
“I burst through the door, and I shout at my son, Luke, and my twin daughters, Grace and Isabelle, and I kiss them on the necks, and I grab a Shiner Bock beer with one hand and an armful of babies with the other.”
One possible reason for the change? Calories. A 12-ounce bottle of Shiner Bock has 142 calories, compared to 96 calories for Michelob Ultra.
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