Philly to Yuengling: NO THANK YOU.
If you haven’t heard, D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. recently filed a trademark application for the term “Philly Special.” As reported by Philly.com:
D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. recently filed a trademark application for “Philly Special.” The company is considering applying the phrase to one of its existing beers — such as Yuengling Lager — in the Philadelphia region, or perhaps using it for a new beer altogether.
Two words for the Yuengling brewery: F*CK OFF. There is absolutely nothing Philly about Yuengling or it’s mediocre, corn-sweetened “lager.” Philly is a burgeoning, cosmopolitan city. Yuengling lager is more of a Scranton or Sacramento style, nothing against those towns. They just aren’t Philly.
Philly is a union town, sometimes to a fault, and Yuengling has been reported to support union-busting and the right-to-work movement.
Yuengling is in Pottsville. Driving distance (according to Google Maps) from Philly’s City Hall to the Pottsville brewery is 96.4 miles. NINETY-SIX MILES. You know what’s closer?
New York City – 93.9 miles to Holland Tunnel
Scranton – 95.94 miles
Newark, NJ – 87.9 miles
Brooklyn – 97 miles Brooklyn Bridge
Jim Thorpe, PA – 82 miles
Hoboken, NJ – 94 miles
Princeton, NJ -42 miles
Yuengling is about as Philly as Princeton, University. Some people in Philly drink Yuengling and some people from Philly go to Princeton. That’s where the connection ends.
This is a total cash grab hoping to exploit the success of the Philadelphia Eagles, and the gutsy play-call of Foles and Pederson to line the pockets of a billion dollar company pretty much as far away from Philly as New York City.
Yuengling Marketing Director Tyler Simpson tried to sugar-coat it in the Philly.com piece:
“The past few weeks have been so exciting for Philadelphia fans everywhere,” Yuengling’s marketing director, Tyler Simpson, said in a statement. “We thought there might be something fun we could do for loyal Yuengling drinkers in the Philadelphia region.”
There is something they can do for loyal Yuengling drinkers in the Philly region: improve their products.
This quote is priceless:
“This Philly Special idea would be for our loyal Yuengling and Philadelphia fans,” Simpson said, noting that the company’s logo and packaging has always included an eagle. (via Philly.com)
Oh, that settles it. Their packaging has always included an eagle. Of course their packaging has an eagle. They used to be Eagle Brewery in the 1800’s. Don’t pander to Eagles fans. The Yuengling packaging and beer has nothing to do with the Philadelphia Eagles. .
If Mr. Simpson wants to start tossing around credentials such as “packaging has always included an eagle” he might want to defer to Miller Lite or Bud Light, who have always supported the Eagles. As far as I know, Yuengling does not advertise with or sponsor the Eagles. Miller Lite has the Flight Deck at Lincoln Financial Field and offered discounted ride-sharing codes to the parade. Bud Light seriously stepped up with free beers for the parade and the entire Dilly-Dilly, Philly-Philly campaign complete with sky-writing jets writing “PHILLY-PHILLY” in the skies over the parade.
In my humble opinion, a Philly Special beer should be brewed by Yards or the Philadelphia Brewing Company. They’re both Philly-based, brewed, and operated. However, I can respect the companies that have always been there supporting the Eagles and the effort Bud Light did in embracing the Super Bowl Champs.
“We’re still exploring options and would love to hear what the fans think a Philly Special could be,” Simpson said. “We want to have fun with it and may have our Philadelphia fans vote for their favorite idea.” (via Philly.com)
Here’s an idea. Withdraw your trademark application and leave it for beer companies in Philly or that have supported the Eagles instead of hopping on the bandwagon.
Yuengling doesn’t deserve a “Philly Special” trademark because there’s absolutely nothing Philly or special about them.
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