If You Love Hard Mtn Dew So Much, Why Don't You Marry It?
Courtesy of Mtn Dew
I've been on marketing teams. Big chunks of time are spent sitting around just brainstorming ideas — but teasing apart the "good" ideas from the "bad" ideas can be surprisingly difficult. In the vacuum of a conference room, the lines can blur between a concept that's crazy versus one that's so crazy it just might work.
I cannot say whether Hard Mtn Dew's latest promotion was conceived in a conference room or during some sort of Fear and Loathing-esque spiritual journey. But it certainly walks the risk-taking line: The boozy spin on the beloved soda is looking to fly someone to Las Vegas to have them get married to a literal can of Hard Mtn Dew.
The fan challenge — called "Hard Dew, I Do," perhaps hinting at where the idea came from in the first place — is described as "posing a simple question: Do you love Hard Mtn Dew enough to marry it?" If the answer is "yes," bachelors and bachelorettes can enter online to be "the first and only person to marry a can" (though Hard Mtn Dew admits, even in Nevada, this marriage will not be legally binding).
Simply go to HardDewIDo.com by September 8 and answer three questions (in under 2,000 characters): "How did you know Hard Mtn Dew was the one for you?" "What makes you our one true love?" And finally, "Write us your proposal to ask for our hand in marriage." A photo "that captures how you'd feel if you found out you were engaged to Hard Mtn Dew" is also required, along with things like confirming that you are at least 21 years old and are able to travel on the dates of the October ceremony.
Importantly, the selected winner will get more than a fake marriage. The grand prize also includes travel and hotel accommodations in an "epic Vegas suite" for two nights for the winner and a "witness" (a.k.a. another guest who isn't a can) along with "a celebratory reception at one of Las Vegas's hottest clubs," $1,000 cash as a wedding gift, and, yes, free Hard Mtn Dew.
The whole thing is intended to promote Hard Mtn Dew's release in Las Vegas, which happened this month. The 5-percent ABV hard soda was first launched back in February, but only in a limited number of states, and Vegas apparently had to wait its turn for the rollout to finally reach them.
"Fans have gone wild for Hard Mtn Dew since hitting shelves, so our recent expansion to Las Vegas felt like the perfect opportunity to return the love by proposing to our fans," Erica Taylor, Hard Mtn Dew's senior brand director, stated. "We've already seen the crazy lengths people will go for Hard Mtn Dew, so offering up a legendary wedding in Sin City is our way of saying thanks!"
So what do you wear when you marry a can? According to Hard Mtn Dew's FAQ, "We will provide you with a $500 stipend to purchase the wedding gown or suit of your dreams." Assuming the can gets the same budget, that's one hell of a koozie.
