Portland men featured in Miller Lite commercial on ESPN

In a marketing push by Miller Lite, one of the world’s largest brewers of pilsner, the company has called for photo submissions from regular people drinking their beer.

The idea is simple, post a photo on Twitter with the hashtag “ItsMillerTime,” and become eligible for prizes like Miller Lite gear and concert tickets, but three men from Portland got a huge surprise when they found out their picture was going to be featured in a commercial on ESPN instead.

From left to right, Sam Guimond, Nick Luce, and Sam McAdam on ESPN.

From left to right, Sam Guimond, Nick Luce, and Sam McAdam on ESPN.

“The picture was just one that we took at a show at the Asylum (nightclub in Portland),” said Sam McAdam, who was one of the men featured in the commercial.

“Miller was giving away free gear and concert tickets for pictures submitted with the ItsMillerTime hashtag, so I submitted it. Didn’t win anything but about a month or so later they contacted me via Twitter asking if they could get my permission and permission from the two other guys in the pic to use it in a commercial.

We all said it was ok and they thanked us and told us when to look for it on SportsCenter.”

The three men, all graduates of Portland High School, also share another strong bond that goes back to their teen age years.

“That was actually our old Power Play line from high school hockey,” said McAdam, whose father, Gary McAdam, is well known to Maine hockey fans for his career with the former Maine Mariners team, and several NHL teams in the 1970’s and 80’s.

Gary McAdam playing for the Buffalo Sabres. Photo from snipview.com.

Gary McAdam playing for the Buffalo Sabres. Photo from snipview.com.

“He got a good laugh out of it,” said the younger McAdam when asked for his father’s reaction.

“Our whole family drinks Miller Lite, so it’s funny that we actually got picked for the commercial.”

Chris Shorr

About Chris Shorr

Chris is a sixth generation Portlander who loves all things Maine. He has worked with mentally ill and marginalized adults at a Portland non-profit, on a lobster boat in Casco Bay, at several high-end Portland restaurants, and at a local meat packing plant. He also ran for Portland City Council in 2013, wrote a weekly column in the now defunct Portland Daily Sun, and currently writes a weekly column in The Portland Phoenix.