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Kenzinger ad to air during Union games

The Philadelphia Brewing Company’s new Kenzinger commercial will soon be airing during Union game broadcasts on Comcast.

Woody Pase, “the co-director, co-producer, co-writer, co-everything” of the commercial along with Pete Heacock, his partner at the production company First Capital Industries, talked with the PSP about the making of the commercial and the decision to buy airtime during Union games. (Full disclosure: I’ve known Pase for at least ten years; we used to work together at the 700, a soccer-friendly bar in Northern Liberties, where I still work during on weekends. I’ve also known the owners of PBC, Bill and Nancy Barton, for years.)

“It was kind of a slam dunk”

The decision to market Kenzinger to Union fans was an easy one.

“Soccer is a bit of an outsider sport, at least when you think of the Phillies, the Eagles, the Flyers and the Sixers,” Pase said. “That’s kind of what Kenzinger is up against with the big beer companies. But Kenzinger is also a part of Philadelphia, just like the Union.”

Comcast offers packages for advertisers that can be channel, show and viewing area specific. Pase said the decision to advertise during Union games began with two simple questions: “Who are we targeting? What do people who buy our beer watch?”

His experience of bartending during the broadcast of soccer games at the 700 told him that Kenzinger and the Union are a good fit.

“Soccer people can a pretty discerning bunch,” he said. “Whenever I bartended during soccer games, people wanted to try something new, something local. So it was kind of a slam dunk.”

Pase’s day job is at PBC where, in addition to his new title of Director of Video Marketing for the brewery, he does a bit of everything—”Everything but brewing. There’s always something to do”—including being out in the Kenzinger truck making deliveries in and outside of the city. He says of the discerning tastes of soccer fans, “It’s not just inside the city, it’s outside the city, too.”

Making the commercial

Before filming the Kenzinger commercial, Pase and Heacock had made a commercial for PBC’s Harvest from the Hood, a seasonal beer made with hops grown in Philadelphia. Pase said PBC owner Bill Barton was “pretty happy with it” and said “I want a Kenzinger commercial.”

So, Pase and Heacock turned to YouTube and spent a lot of time looking at beer commercials old and new. “I know more about beer commercials now than I ever cared to know.”

One thing was certain from the start. “We’re fun people. We wanted fun and we wanted local people.”

Filmed largely at Johnny Brendas, but also around the city, the commercial features Maxx, now of the band Black Landlord and formerly of Philly hip hop legends the Goats, as well as former Silk City bartender Jenna Adams. Richie Charles, a former PBC employee who now runs the record label Richie Records, plays the driver and Alex Paraborelli of the Lost Bar plays the helper.

Get some!

PBC owner Bill Barton agreed with Pase that Kenzinger and Union fans go well together. “We felt the demographic of the Union fans was a good fit for our product.”

Barton said the first airing of the commercial during the broadcast of Union games will be on Comcast SportsNet during the July 9 game away to San Jose and the July 17 game away to New England.

“The commercial will air in about a 50 mile radius of Philadelphia including portions of South Jersey and Delaware,” Barton said. “We are working on having the commercial air a few times per game.”

The commercial will also be aired during broadcasts of Daily News Live on CSN, ESPN’s Sportscenter and on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, South Park and Tosh.0, among other channels and shows..

“I’m gonna have to be at the 700 to see the commercial for the first broadcast during a Union game.” Pase said. “I want to see it with the soccer crowd.”

PBC products are available at Citizens Bank Park. Whether Kenzinger will be available at PPL Park, well, only time will tell.

4 Comments

  1. THAT is a great commercial and i am going to go out and buy some Kenzinger this weekend! I wasn’t even award of it until this post… thanks, Ed! 🙂

  2. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! MORE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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