Poulsbo man reflects on creating iconic Rainier Beer commercial

Brian Nyjordet, a 65-year-old Poulsbo craftsman, enjoys working with his hammer, chop saw and finish tools doing carpentry work.

Seeing the craftsman use the tools of his trade offers no clue that during his youth, he conceived one of the most iconic television commercials to come out of the Pacific Northwest – the Rainier Beer motorcycle commercial.

The uncomplicated nature of the commercial likely contributed to it becoming a television cult classic.

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The television advertisement opens on a rural road bathed in afternoon sunlight. From a distance away, a chorus of crickets chirp “Rainier … Rainier … Rainier.” Rising from the horizon, a motorcyclist comes into view.

As the bike zooms by, its engine changes gears and sings out “RAAAAAA …NEEEEER ….BEEERRR.” The cycle travels down the road toting a case of Rainier beer framed against a majestic backdrop of Mount Rainier. As the bike fades into the distance, crickets return to chirping “Rainier” … “Rainier” … “Rainier.”

Nyjordet conceived the commercial when he was a junior in high school in Eugene, OR. Soon after, he moved to Kitsap County. Never did he believe his concept would make it onto television screens and become part of Northwest lore.

The idea for the motorcycle commercial fermented in the teenager’s mind following a night with friends.

“We were hanging out at a buddy’s house watching a movie called ‘The Groove Tube.’ It was a comedy deal that spoofed commercials. I think we were sitting around with a few beers, if I’m not mistaken. We started making fun of commercials we saw, like Rainier ones,” he said.

At the end of the night, Nyjordet left to ride home on his Kawasaki 500 motorcycle, which he referred to as a “crotch rocket.”

“I got on the bike and took off. I was thinking about Rainier commercials. As I was riding home, I was going through the gears. All of a sudden, I just went to myself, ‘Raaa—neeer—beeeer.’ I thought, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool,’” he recalled.

The following day, Nyjordet told his friends at school about his idea. “They liked it a lot. In one class, I told a friend named Jack Inglis about it. He also had a bike. He goes, that’s pretty cool and said, ‘We outta send that in.’ Maybe [Rainier] would buy it!”

Inglis, an artist, sketched out the ad concept. The boys mailed the visual rendition to Rainier. But it wasn’t until a year later that the beer company’s ad agency called and offered to buy the idea for $500.

“You know, it wasn’t a lot of money, but back then I was like, ‘Why not?’” Nyjordet said. The two boys took the deal and split the payment.

Two years later, Nyjordet had the TV on in his bedroom. “I was watching a football game and it came on. I was shocked. Actually, we thought [Rainier] had given up on it and moved on. My mom was home. I yelled for her to come watch. After that, they showed it quite a bit,” he said.

Originally, when Nyjordet’s mom learned her son and Inglis were going to approach Rainier with the idea, she thought the boys should have better things to do at school than dream up commercials. But when she saw the commercial on TV, she smiled and said, “That’s pretty cool, Brian,” Nyjordet remembered.

He thought the finished commercial was great, but Nyjordet was slightly let down that the ad agency passed on one part of his original ad idea. “We had the motorcyclist sitting on top of a Rainier bottle with deer antlers as the handlebars,” he said.

The motorcycle ad debuted in 1979, and it remains a favorite for many Northwest television viewers. The unconventional ad was one of several lighthearted commercials the beer company released between 1974 and 1987.

Some other Rainier Beer memorable ads included one that featured a family driving through a wooded area posted with a “Beer Crossing” sign. The mom excitedly announced, “Ohhh, a whole herd of Rainier Beers!” as a group of faux two-legged Rainier beer bottles trot across the road. Another commercial featured a pack of Rainier Beers stampeding through a field. Another ad included cans of Rainier swimming upstream like migrating salmon. One more favorite featured Mickey Rooney as a singing Canadian Mountie searching for the elusive Rainier Beers.

Nyjordet shared his favorite:

“I liked the one that featured the ‘running with the bulls’ spectacle in Spain. Only it was called ‘Running with the Rainiers.’ They did it in Seattle and had the beer bottles running through town and [with people running in front] of the bulls. That was pretty clever,” he said.

There are ways to revisit the catchy ads. On YouTube, searching “Rainier Beer commercials” will dredge up many favorites.

“Rainier: A Beer Odyssey” is a two-hour documentary highlighting the company’s groundbreaking commercials that became woven into the cultural fabric of the Pacific Northwest. The movie debuted at the 2024 Seattle International Film Festival and is occasionally screened around the region.

Nyjordet’s youthful venture into the world of television commercials started and ended with his motorcycle idea. But the construction worker says he’s fine with that slender slice of the television business.

Anyone wondering what teenage Nyjordet did with his share of money earned from the commercial? During his high school senior skip day, he splurged on his classmates and threw a kegger.

He offered no hints whether it served up Rainier Beer. Cheers!