Dive Brief:

• Southern Comfort, a whiskey liquor owned by the Sazerac Company, released a limited-edition pair of “drinking pants” in time for the holiday season, according to a press release.
• The unisex branded drawstring pants feature a pocket perfectly fit to carry around a shot glass for Southern Comfort. They can also be turned inside out for a “fancy pants” option, which are plain black so the consumer can wear them two days in a row without judgment, per the release.
• The holiday merchandise is part of a larger push by the company, “So Tasteful,” which is the first global creative effort by the brand in a decade and tries to position the brand as both a tasteful selection and one that can be enjoyed in a party setting.

Dive Insight:

Southern Comfort’s drinking pants see the brand grappling both the pandemic-spurred athleisure boom as well as what, for many, is the first return-to-normal Thanksgiving celebration to be had after two years of isolation. The branded novelty product may also spur gift giving of liquor during a season when sales for such products typically fare well.

Much of the product design has Thanksgiving in mind, including a drawstring waist to allow for the pants to be stretched as needed while enjoying holiday foods. The back of the pants reads “Southern Comfort Drinking Pants,” though, they can also be worn inside-out as needed to “impress even the most critical of relatives,” the release details. The drinking pants will retail for $11.23, a cost chosen to mark Thanksgiving Eve, and will be available for purchase from Nov. 14-21, as supplies last. 

"Southern Comfort wants to lead the way on tasteful choices so we conducted a host of detailed market research and that led us to an important conclusion: pants today are missing a few crucial elements that would improve lives everywhere, a key one being a shot glass pocket,” said Sara Saunders, vice president of global marketing for Sazerac in a press statement.

The pants play into Southern Comfort's “So Tasteful” campaign and brand message that positions the product as classy with a fun side. In a 30-second campaign spot, a man dressed in a Southern Comfort costume speaks as the brand and says, “Wherever I go, people think they know me — they don’t really know me,” before agreeing that while he does enjoy dancing on tables, he also has a refined side. 

Novelty holiday products seem to be a well-traveled route this season as brands desperately pursue consumer attention amid shrinking holiday budgets. For example, Miller Lite recently unveiled a Christmas Tree Keg Stand, a line of festive knitwear and its “Beernaments,” a Christmas tree ornament sized to fit a standard 12-ounce can of beer inside of it.