Immediately after a team wins the Super Bowl (in this case, after the Tampa Bay Bucs win today’s game … not to jinx it), an ad pops up selling its championship merch. The losers’ gear—already manufactured—makes its way to countries in need through charitable organization Good360.
With Goodby Silverstein & Partners’ help, Brewer Sam Adams is taking the merch concept to big game beer advertising. But, in this case, everyone is a winner. Dubbing itself the “2021 Beer Commercial Champions,” t-shirts and other merchandise honor the beer brand’s inspired ad freeing some Clydesdales.
The ad running in Boston and New York for the brewer’s new Wicked Hazy IPA shows “Your Cousin From Boston,” the wicked brash character unleashed by the brand last year unhooking a team of Clydesdale horses that run amok. It’s a not-so-subtle jab at Budweiser not advertising during the Super Bowl.
The spot spawned the line of merchandise. Like the NFL, Sam Adams has the championship gear ready before the game, making the self-dubbed champions a nice winking bit of bravado that captures the Cousin From Boston’s attitude perfectly.
Those who want to celebrate the “Beer Commercial Championship” can visit a dedicated merchandise website that launched today. There, they can purchase commemorative novelty merchandise, including hats, pint glasses and other curiously sold-out items, like a $140,000.95 championship ring.
Proceeds from the sales will benefit the brand’s Restaurant Strong Fund, which supports the restaurant industry affected by the pandemic. Sam Adams is contributing another $100,000 to the fund to keep it going.
“We put the cart before the horse,” punned Goodby Silverstein & Partners chairman Jeff Goodby. “But it’s for a good cause.”