THE DOCTOR IS IN

According to “legend,” in the 1800s, Jebediah “Doc” Otis lived with a remote island clan to learn the secrets of lemon brewing. With this arcane knowledge, he returned to the U.S. to create his own drink.
Brewed by St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, the good doctor’s mysterious elixir–a hard-lemon malt beverage–recently hit store shelves. And national radio spots for the drink, by Waylon Ad, St. Louis, are showcasing the inimitable voice of actor Robert Stack.
In his best Unsolved Mysteries manner, Stack says: “I’ve seen thousands of mysteries, but none like ‘Doc’ Otis. I’ve heard it’s not too sweet like other hard-lemon beverages. It won’t make your face all screwed up and puckery.”
Stack challenges listeners to “solve the mystery” of “Doc” Otis: “C’mon, you can’t expect me to solve them all for you!”
“We are encouraging consumers to sample [the drink] by creating some humorous mystery around ‘Doc’ Otis,” said Steve Bagwell, vp of premium plus brands at A-B. “By combining the Otis legend with Stack’s deadpan timing and recognizable TV persona, we hope this campaign will pique everyone’s curiosity.”
A-B is also using outdoor ads featuring a horizontal bottle on a black background. The tagline is “Unlock the Doc.”
–Mark Lan