- Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs playfully accuses Pabst Blue Ribbon of using his likeness when designing brand mascot Cool Blue without issuing credit, a part of a latest campaign detailed in a press release that reads as if Boggs himself issued it.
- A latest three-minute video shows Boggs revealing evidence that links himself to the mascot, a red-haired mustached man in super hero garb. The athlete can also be at the middle of a delegated landing page for the cause, where he lists a slew of demands for the brewer as restitution, “or else.”
- Boggs also encourages consumers to affix the conversation on social media with the hashtag #BoggsisBlue. The playful effort is aptly timed to the beginning of baseball season and arrives as overall beer sales struggle to keep up traction.
Pabst Blue Ribbon is playing the long game in its latest campaign, “BoggsisBlue,” by not taking public credit for the hassle and positioning it as being originated by Boggs himself. Just in time for baseball season, the push combines humor with nostalgia in an try to connect with sports fans during an overall sluggish period for the beer industry.
Though the corporate is playing along with the bit, Pabst Blue Ribbon is credited because the owner of BoggsisBlue.com, the dedicated site meant to boost awareness for the athlete’s claim. Boggs’ list of demands includes the brand admitting he’s the inspiration for Cool Blue, giving fans free beer on his behalf, publishing his beloved chicken recipe, naming a brewery after him, putting his likeness on packaging and ultimately making him the official spokesperson for Pabst Blue Ribbon.
In the three-minute campaign video, Boggs dramatically connects the dots between himself and Cool Blue, a mustached, beer-wielding character. Arguments made include that Pabst Blue Ribbon was founded in 1844, and Boggs went 18 for 44 against the brewer’s hometown of Milwaukee. Another is that the brand is available in 12-ounce cans, and Boggs is a 12-time All-Star. The video ends with an interviewer suggesting that Boggs could enjoy Pabst Blue Ribbon, which he quickly denies.
The effort, including the list of demands by Boggs, could point to what’s to come back from the brand. A tie-up with Boggs particularly will not be only suitably timed to baseball season, but may very well be a nod to the star’s fabled beer-drinking capabilities, which legend says capped at 107 beers during a cross-country flight to a game.
Pabst Blue Ribbon has seen a remarkable comeback in recent times after being saved from lagging sales by hipster subculture. Between 2002 and 2012, barrel sales increased by nearly 200%. Creative marketing has often been utilized by the brewer, which outfitted a motel in 80’s style and Pabst Blue Ribbon branding. The brand also threw an adult-themed Easter egg hunt last yr.
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