Dive Brief:

• Coors Light introduced a new beer-flavored lollipop to celebrate March Madness, per a press release.
• The suckers, known as "Chillollipops," are intended to help hyped-up sports fans calm down as they watch heated basketball matches. The nonalcoholic candies were sold out online as of press time, but will be passed out in bars in select markets.
• The stunt by the Molson Coors brew was inspired by research that has found passing out hard candy helps to calm bar and club goers at the end of the night, while also capitalizing on the spike in beer sales that occurs during the annual college basketball tournament.

Dive Insight:

The sale of beer spikes approximately 19% during the college basketball tournament, according to personal finance site WalletHub, suggesting brands like Coors Light can capitalize on the uptick surrounding March Madness. With pandemic restrictions beginning to ease again, many people are eager to return to bars and restaurants for annual traditions like watching March Madness. Ninety percent of fans plan on visiting or would consider visiting a bar or restaurant to catch a game this month, according to research cited by Molson Coors.

Like any sporting event, tensions during March Madness can run high. It's well documented that sporting events can incite violence, especially between fans of opposing teams. The beer-themed lollipops are intended to help calm fan tensions, while also being a fun, branded item for bars to distribute that can help Coors Light boost good will among beer-drinking consumers.

The effort is promoted with a short video featuring bar workers retelling March Madness horror stories of unruly patrons, along with patrons enjoying the treat as they watch a sports match, appearing significantly calmer than when the video began. The short video ends with the tagline, "Same Madness. Less Mad."

The two-toned lollipops are intended to mimic the look and taste of a frothy beer. While the lollipops contain no alcohol, they have hints of malt and sugar and are meant for those 21 years of age and older. Before selling out online, a six-pack of the candies cost $3.17, a nod to the tournament's start date of March 17.

Beer drinkers who benefit from the lollipop are encouraged to post about it on social media, potentially spurring some lighthearted user-generated content for the brand to share, doubling as a way to extend the sold-out lollipop's reach beyond bars.