Et Tu Brewtus? Rainer has a spokesbear for their beer.

Jim Hanas adcritic elert reminds us about that funny story last month about a bear who passed out drunk on beer. The funniest bit of the story was that while the bear drank maybe three dozen cans of yummy Rainer brew, he rejected all the Busch cans after trying just one.

An ad waiting to happen isn't it? Well, it just did, testimonials don't get any better than this.

Rainier's agency, Cole & Weber/Red Cell couldn't wait to get their gritty paws on this one, and made an online contest to name the Rainier bear - the winning name is Brewtus. Then they created an ad featuring Brewtus - the first Rainier TV commercial in 15 years. The commercial is an reenactment of Brewtus brush with beers and fame, the part of Brewtus is played by a man in a bear suit and the ad ends with the bears eventual downfall when he's captured - he was lured with honey, donuts and beer. Maybe his name should have been Homer.

Now we're just waiting for the next part of the bear beer saga - will we see a celebrity deathmatch between Rainiers Brewtus and Hamm's beer bear? Like Hamm's beer bear once said - this joke is so good "it bears repeating". We could even throw in the kung-fu fighting John West bear and have a WWBF - world wrestling bears federation. Or would that be world wrestling ad bears federation?

Those who like to reminisce about old cartoon spokesbears might want to pick up the book The Story of Hamm's Beer Advertising.