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Product placement has been a staple (if not scourge) of cinema since the dawn of the medium. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s done as a satirical joke (while also serving as product placement). But no example is as pronounced as what a Chilean advertising agency did when they advertised Cerveza beer in the early 2000s.

Over the weekend, someone on Twitter dropped an example of what Chilean TV viewers saw when they watched the original Star Wars trilogy. One of the advertisers was Cristal Beer, but instead of interrupting the movie for traditional commercial breaks, they had their product edited directly into the film. For instance, this alteration occurs early on in the first Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker initially encounters Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Around 2003 in Chile, when the original Star Wars trilogy started being broadcast on television, a unique advertising method was used to avoid cutting to commercial breaks. The commercials were incorporated into the films themselves. Below is an example of one such commercial, with the English dub added in. Source

— Windy 🛸 (@heyitswindy) March 2, 2024

That’s right: Obi-Wan grabs a Cristal Cerveza, complete with a little jingle. Can they get Cristal at the Mos Eisley cantina? Probably not!

That wasn’t the only example. There’s the part where Obi-Wan is infiltrating the Death Star.

this is the funniest fucking thing ever oh my god https://t.co/XXDzkmxuON pic.twitter.com/spMRtArFvb

— Ren (@StanNajimi) March 3, 2024

And the climax from Return of the Jedi, with Emperor Palpatine chilling on his throne with a cool one before he eats it (before coming back, of course).

I’d never heard of it, and it’s fantastic.

Above all, it explains how Palpatine somehow survived: with Cerveza Cristal.

https://t.co/JtNd4jOE3e

pic.twitter.com/kuX3Cn0Ls8

— The Spaceshipper 🚀 (@TheSpaceshipper)

March 3, 2024

It’s true, these advertisements have not only materialized but also garnered award recognition. A 2004 article from The Guardian unveils that OMD Santiago, the creative agency behind the campaign, clinched the most prestigious award at that year’s Cannes International Advertising Festival. Cristal was incorporated into several blockbuster films when they were televised, a feat deemed “genius” by the judging panel.

The content erupted in popularity, thus giving birth to a fresh meme trend. Users started integrating Cristal into a plethora of movies, shows, and miscellaneous media. A significant number were Star Wars-themed.

A snippet of the CERVEZA CRISTAL jingle found here.

A Tweet by user Braddington posted on March 4, 2024.

New Star Wars piece just dropped #cervezacristal pic.twitter.com/wTSB7TeGeN

— Readful Things (@Readful_Things) March 6, 2024

🎶 CERVESA CRISTAL 🎶 pic.twitter.com/T9JiIJ7SF8

— Kristen Bates (@kristenkbates) March 4, 2024

🎶 CERVEZA CRISTAL🎶 pic.twitter.com/4AufswYKuw

— Punch It Chewie Press 🔜 WonderCon (@PunchitChewie77) March 5, 2024

Okay, last one. pic.twitter.com/i95s6lOjRx

— Tim Owens, Cat Wrangler (@AtTimOwens) March 5, 2024

such an iconic moment pic.twitter.com/x3U90j1890

— Veers Watch (@VeersWatch) March 5, 2024