Whatever Happened To Keith Stone Beer Commercials & Who Played The Smooth Star?

Memorable beer commercials and football season go together hand-in-hand. And what does a good beer company need more than anything else when they want to make a major impression on the buying public — and get those sweet Super Bowl commercial dollars in their coffers? Why, a memorable mascot, of course.

In the case of Keystone Light, that character was Keith Stone in the early '10s. They picked actor Mitchell Jarvis to embody the forces of smooth flirtation and manly posturing. Jarvis first gained national attention on Broadway as the original Lonny in the Broadway hit "Rock of Ages," and has since appeared on "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" as well as a wealth of independently produced features and TV shows.

Unfortunately, changing times often mean these cultural figureheads are deposed for the next fresh face. While Stone rose from a memorable lineage of talking frogs and partying dogs, he would soon join them on the shelf as a fondly remembered — though now inactive — mascot when Keystone Light changed its publicity approach in 2012. Keystone Light's marketing now leans less on humor and more on a smooth, relaxed tone that reflects the brand at large. But for some, Keith Stone was the absolute height of small-screen commercial humor.

With a skosh of Joe Dirt and a whiff of Earl Hickey all poured in a single smooth, highly articulate package, Keith Stone spent his time as a pitch spokesman helping the downtrodden. Whether he was aiding a mime's quest to find romance, charming ladies, or holding forth on many matters, he was forever unflappable and filled with advice. He was also always accompanied by his signature musical sting and a charming, dry manner.

After the first few ads hit television, Stone became Mitchell Jarvis' bread and butter. Primarily, he appeared in a series of skits called "Smooth Musings" posted on the comedy website Funny or Die. In them, he held forth on dozens of topics and dispensed advice to viewers about fashion, fishing, romance, and other subjects. The skits — of which there were over 20 when the plug was pulled on the campaign — were co-produced by MillerCoors and Funny or Die. Jarvis also appeared on WWE's Raw to referee an argument between the Bella Twins and Eve Torres. 

Jarvis ended up going on a publicity tour, appearing as Stone in multiple locales throughout the U.S. The combined blitz resulted in the character becoming so popular he even threw his hat into the presidential ring and became one of many joke candidates for the 2012 election.

Stone eventually made something of a splash with the collegiate set, who took to the beer-and-girls-loving character like a duck takes to water. Unfortunately, the character's smooth ride through Hollywood was about to come to an end.  

Unsurprisingly, Keith Stone became enough of a memetic sensation that he got a cultural foothold in the collegiate world. Fans of the character even chose to make him a major Halloween costume during the peak of the commercial series' run. Several Halloween costume tutorial websites even created their own blueprints for the "Keith Stone" look. As a result, Halloween 2011 was dotted all over with lookalikes in trucker caps toting cases of Keystone Light over their shoulders. Some fans even used him as an avatar and example in school assignments. 

Yet as popular as Keith Stone ended up being, the circle of mascot life continued to spin onward. Just as Stone was brought on to replace the company's bitter beer face campaign, by the time 2013 had rolled around, Stone himself had been replaced by a brand new set of faces. Shelved in favor of other, disconnected campaigns that maintain the company's smooth-leaning image, he became a memory. 

Sadly, since Keith doled out his final bit of advice, KeyStone hasn't had a consistent mascot. But just as the Budweiser Frogs made a triumphant return in 2017, Keith Stone might pop up once again to charm viewers someday.