So we asked Bud Light if they wanted to sponsor our Super Bowl Party…
People who know me well know I get more excited for the Super Bowl than I do for Christmas.
And just about every year since middle school, I’ve hosted Super Bowl parties at my dad’s house, my dorm room, my college house, my first city apartment and now my first suburban apartment I live in with my wife.
The past couple of years, I’ve jokingly said my Super Bowl parties were sponsored by Bud Light, mainly because of the amount of Bud Light I supplied for each party.
This year, I invited friends to the party using Facebook, titling the event “Becca & Will’s 5th Annual Super Bowl Party presented by Bud Light.”
Originally, I just thought it’d be another goof.
But then I thought maybe Bud Light actually would be interested in sponsoring it, or at least give me a couple of koozies to pass out.
I first filled out the contact us form on BudLight.com. Within a day, I received this email:
Hello Will,
This is Trevor with Bud Light. Thanks for getting in touch. It’s great to hear that you’re hosting a Bud Lightthemed Super Bowl party! I would be glad to point you in the right direction.
Trevor referred me to Brewery Products Co. in York, Pa. He told me “independent wholesalers are responsible for delivering our beers, as well as promoting them in their territory through local donations, sponsorships, and other promotional activities.”
So then I wrote to Brewery Products. This is what I said:
My name is Will Hanlon and I’m from Hellam, Pa.
I recently wrote to Bud Light telling them the story of how my wife and I throw Super Bowl parties every year. And for the past few, I’ve jokingly been calling it “Becca & Will’s Annual Super Bowl Party presented by Bud Light.”
Is Bud Light actually presenting it? Of course not.
But many of the 30 or so people we invited to our party are craft beer drinkers/snobs, and I’m known in my circle as the guy who loves Bud Light so much he orders them at Holy Hound Taproom* and picked Bud Light when his father offered to stock the bar at his wedding last spring with whatever beer he wanted.
The reason I wrote to Bud Light was to request some sort of Bud Light gear I can hang up or give out during my Super Bowl party in a couple of weeks. They responded and directed me to my local independent wholesaler.
Don’t worry, I got the actual Bud Light and Bud Light Platinum covered — I’m just looking for a little something more to play into the theme that Bud Light is the unofficial sponsor of my party.
Sure, my friends’ choice of beverage might be the “cool thing” right now, but are their craft beer companies cool enough to send them some swag for a little Super Bowl party? I doubt it.
Thanks for your time reading this and I appreciate any help you can offer.
A few days later, a representative from Brewery Products got back to me.
Hi Will,
I will have our sign shop create a banner for you, welcoming your friends to your Super Bowl party.
I will also put a little care package together for you. You can stop by Brewery Products Friday anytime between 7:30 and 3:30 to pick up at the receptionist area.
Enjoy
And this is what happened next …
Naturally, our guests thought I was kidding again when I wrote on the invitation that Bud Light was presenting our party.
The banner was a huge hit.
As were the koozies, beads and Bud Light, of course.
Yeah, guests were #UpWhatForWhatever
Things got a little intense for that last-minute Seahawks drive.
But people who stuck around at the end gathered for a group shot as a hat-tip to our “sponsors.”
