Burnout Dog Names

When someone asks you from where your dog’s name originated, you may not feel all that confident telling them that it came from a Burnout racing game. Therefore, it’s always going to work well if you have a backup option. That’s where Alex comes in.

Alex is both a dog in pop culture and the name of the Criterion Games founder who created Burnout. Alex is also a beautiful dog name for your new adopted pooch. Find out more about both below.

Alex Ward, of Criterion Games who created Burnout, has always been passionate about computers and games. The first computer game he ever played was Sniper on a Sinclair ZX81 Microcomputer, before receiving a 3.5k Commodore computer at Christmas of 1982. His love for computers grew from there, and even as he studied Psychology at the University of Plymouth, he still dabbled in them.

After becoming bored with office work and taking on a series of computer-related jobs, he ended up working in the development department of Criterion Software which Canon owned. In as little as 12 months, he had created Criterion Games with Fiona Sperry, and games such as Airblade and Burnout followed with high degrees of success.

Alex (played by Banjo) is also the name of the Irish Setter and Golden Retriever cross in the 1980s Stroh’s beer ad on TV. The advertisement campaign was a hit during the 1980s decade and even formed part of the lyrics in the hit single by Tone Loc called Funky Cold Medina.

In one of the most popular ads, Alex would fetch a Stroh’s beer from the fridge for his owner. It would then end with Alex drinking some form of liquid and his owner shouting “Alex, you better be drinking your water!”

Alex appeared in several ads for Stroh’s during the 1980s, with a significant fan base over this time. He was also the precursor to Budweiser’s Spuds Mackenzie. When Alex was at the peak of his popularity, he appeared on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and even had a series of posters, toys, hand lotion, cologne, and shampoo.

Banjo, the dog that played Alex, was found by a trainer at an animal shelter. After training, he worked for Stroh’s from 1984 until 1989. After 1989, Alex the Dog commercial creators lost their contract with Stroh’s. However, his time in the spotlight was not yet over. Comedian Brian Regan became Alex’s campaign manager during Alex’s “presidential” campaign.

Three years after the ad campaign, Banjo, unfortunately, died of cancer.