Less than a week after managing the Milwaukee Brewers to the first World Series title in franchise history, Pat Murphy has taken on the most Wisconsin encore imaginable. He is standing at a backyard grill, insisting he is not cooking anything.
Johnsonville has enlisted Murphy to recreate the sausage maker’s first-ever commercial, the 1980s spot built around Charlie Murphy, a fictitious neighborhood grilling sensation. In the original, a neighbor catches Charlie at the grill and admires the brats. Charlie denies everything, right up until the neighborhood gets the gleeful announcement: “Charlie Murphy’s cooking Johnsonville brats.” The spot closed on the line, “Folks can’t resist the simply great taste of Johnsonville brats.”
The remake, titled “Official Brat of Believers” and posted to Johnsonville’s YouTube channel on Sunday, rebuilds the scene beat for beat, with retired Brewers pitcher Tim Dillard in the neighbor role. Dillard greets Murphy as “Patches” and gets a flat “Nothing” when he asks what is cooking. Murphy answers “Negative” when told the brats look like Johnsonville, holds out through “That’s a no-doubter,” and caves only after the updated shout goes up: “Pat Murphy’s cooking up Johnsonville brats.” His surrender is pure Murphy: “Oh, what the heck? Bring the whole crew.”
Here is the 1980s original the new spot is honoring, denials and all:
The remake also inspired a limited-edition package, “Pat Murphy’s Cookin’ Original Bratwurst,” with an illustrated Murphy on the label in the Charlie pose, tongs in hand. Johnsonville is giving the packages away to select fans who share on the brand’s Instagram how this World Series experience, led by what the giveaway calls “The Manager of The People,” has brought their crews together. The giveaway launched Monday morning.
It is a fitting victory lap. Murphy’s October gave Milwaukee a trophy, a parade, and a title dedicated to Bob Uecker. November opens with him guarding a grill full of brats he refuses to admit are his, which might be the most Milwaukee sentence of all.