Cleveland Breaks Chains to Free Bud Light with Browns Victory

635 days. That’s how long Cleveland Browns fans waited to experience the sweet taste of victory. While the Browns finally won an NFL game after a long drought on September 20, 2018, the real winner of the moment was Bud Light for their clever “Victory Fridge” marketing endeavor.

What better way to market to a city thirsty for victory than by dangling free beer in front of them? Bud Light announced on August 14 they were installing Victory Fridges in bars around Cleveland, Ohio. The fridges were literally wrapped in chains with locks attached—and filled with Browns-branded Bud Light. When (and if) the Browns notched their first regular season victory, a signal would be sent to automatically unlock the fridges; unleashing free beer for fans to celebrate.

Leading up to the Browns long-overdue triumph with their third game of the season, the Victory Fridges got a lot of attention. They were the topic of numerous tweets and news stories—and that attention exploded once the team actually earned a “W”.

After coming into the game for injured quarterback Tyrod Taylor and leading the team to victory, number-one draft pick (and Cleveland savior) Baker Mayfield notably asked after the game: “Are the Bud Light things open yet?” And the Cleveland Police even got into the action with this truly fantastic tweet…

With spectacular brand exposure stretching over the course of weeks, Bud Light definitely scored a big win with this one.