Dive Brief:

• Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs playfully accuses Pabst Blue Ribbon of using his likeness when designing brand mascot Cool Blue without issuing credit, part of a new campaign detailed in a press release that reads as if Boggs himself issued it.
• A new three-minute video shows Boggs revealing evidence that links himself to the mascot, a red-haired mustached man in super hero garb. The athlete is also at the center of a designated landing page for the cause, where he lists a slew of demands for the brewer as restitution, “or else.”
• Boggs also encourages consumers to join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #BoggsisBlue. The playful effort is aptly timed to the start of baseball season and arrives as overall beer sales struggle to maintain traction.

Dive Insight:

Pabst Blue Ribbon is playing the long game in its latest campaign, “BoggsisBlue,” by not taking public credit for the effort and positioning it as being originated by Boggs himself. Just in time for baseball season, the push combines humor with nostalgia in an attempt to connect with sports fans during an overall sluggish period for the beer industry.

Though the company is playing along with the bit, Pabst Blue Ribbon is credited as the owner of BoggsisBlue.com, the dedicated site meant to raise awareness for the athlete’s claim. Boggs’ list of demands includes the brand admitting he is 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 comes in 12-ounce cans, and Boggs is a 12-time All-Star. The video ends with an interviewer suggesting that Boggs may just enjoy Pabst Blue Ribbon, which he quickly denies.

The effort, including the list of demands by Boggs, could point to what’s to come from the brand. A tie-up with Boggs in particular is not only suitably timed to baseball season, but could 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 years after being saved from lagging sales by hipster subculture. Between 2002 and 2012, barrel sales increased by nearly 200%. Creative marketing has often been used 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 year.