Cerveza Cristal's Star Wars Commercials Resurface, Sparking Legal and Meme Revival

Over two decades after a legal dispute with LucasFilm, the Chilean beer's unique advertising approach gains newfound attention and meme popularity.

In 2003, Chilean TV broadcasts of the Star Wars trilogy featured commercials for Cerveza Cristal seamlessly edited into the films, avoiding traditional ad breaks.
George Lucas took legal action against the advertising technique, leading to a successful complaint with the Chilean Self-Regulation and Advertising Ethics Council in 2004.
Despite the legal battle, the commercials have resurfaced on social media, sparking a wave of parody memes across various platforms.
Cerveza Cristal's parent company, CCU, faces financial challenges, with a significant drop in net income and sales, amidst broader struggles in the beer industry.
The resurgence of the commercials and the accompanying memes offer a unique marketing opportunity, though experts caution about the legal risks of such creative advertising methods.