The Swedish Bikini Team first appeared in the early 1980's as part of an an advertising campaign for Old Milwaukee beer. Beer advertisements are often targeted at young men, particularly relatively inexpensive brews like Old Milwaukee.

One convention of beer advertising---- hell, advertising in general -- is the use of shapely young women to catch the attention of young men. The technique is used because it works. Testosterone is a wonderful hormone, but it does tend to make men turn their eyes towards any attractive woman. In addition the placement of the girl can be used to hint that if the consumer only drank the right beer, the girl might be his. The idea is that the product itself will convey coolness. The concept is of course absurd, but many young men aren't too good with girls, and desperate people will try anything. Busch Beer's famous "be a mountain man" advertising campaign represented a particularly silly attempt to create a impression that drinking the right cheap beer would make you cool and get you laid.

The campaign was designed by Patrick Scullin of Ames Scullin O'Haire, an Atlanta advertising agency. The Swedish Bikini Team advertisments simultaneously parodied and exploited the pretty girl technique. You don't have to be Afghanistan not to have a national bikini team. But the ads' inherent silliness made them amusing, and the team members offered exceptional eye candy. The result made the commercials popular and significantly boosted Old Milwaukee sales. Because the team was in the public eye, Playboy saw that a nude pictorial might sell magazines. Thus came their enduring fame.

Amazingly enough, the team did not go away with the ad campaign. Apparently the team realized they could leverage their "enormous talents" to maintain a decent income. They continue to make public appearances at car shows, shooting matches, monster truck contests and other places where men will pay to see shapely blondes. Only with new, younger women. Geek boys and others seeking further information should check out their website: www.swedishbikiniteam.com . They have begun making movies, including James Bond spoofs like their new release Never Say . . . Never Mind.

I can't wait to read Joe Bob Briggs' review!

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