Dog Days

Watch your tail, Spuds, Alex is back. And the beer-stealing pup from Stroh’s commercials (‘83-85) is still up to trouble.

This time out, Alex is burying beer bottles--and a beer truck--in the neighbor’s back yard. In another spot, owner Michael receives a mysterious series of deliveries at his door, all of which reek suspiciously of the precocious little mutt: a side of beef, a supply of Stroh’s and a saucy poodle from the local pet shop.

As you might expect, Alex also will do T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and likely “anything you could put a logo on,” said John Hellweg, Stroh’s v.p., marketing services.

But--you won’t find Alex as a stuffed toy. Budweiser was accused of using Spuds MacKenzie, especially the stuffed toy versions, to market alcoholic beverages to minors.

Said Hellweg, “The (TV commercial) vignettes are definitely adult. Alex is a real dog in the company of adults. He doesn’t have that animated kind of appeal that Spuds does at all.”

Hellweg maintains that rival Budweiser’s success with Spuds had nothing to do with bringing Alex out of retirement.

Then why was the pooch canned in the first place? “It’s like a lot of commercials that have a humorous way of presenting themselves,” he said. “If you continue them too long, the humor gets a little stale.”