Just like most everyone else in the world, Blue Moon (the brewing company) found out about Blue Moon (the lunar lander) when Blue Origin's founder and chief executive, Jeff Bezos, first unveiled it back in May. Having the same name as a future moon lander inspired the brewing company to undertake a unique advertising campaign.
Two months later, this coincidence inspired some unique beer kegs that look a bit like the lander. There's no official trademark agreement between the two companies, although Blue Moon Brewing Co.'s senior marketing manager, Elizabeth Hitch, told Space.com that Blue Origin was "flattered" by the brewing venture.
"We thought it would be a fun opportunity to commemorate what they were doing and the 50th anniversary of the [first human] moon landing," Hitch said. The kegs will be unveiled at five events across the U.S. on July 20, the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Related: Blue Origin's Lunar Lander: A Photo Tour
Blue Moon (the lander) is a robotic craft with a large fuel tank in the middle. Its sides and landing legs make it look a little like the Apollo lunar module that brought astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. The kegs will look much like that, Hitch said, but with the brewing company's logo in place of the one from Blue Origin — and with more hints of blue. Inside the kegs will be the company's signature Belgian White beer. The kegs were designed by Darin McKnight, a packaging and materials development engineer at Blue Moon's parent company, MillerCoors.
The moon-landing anniversary is a perfect moment to capitalize on Blue Moon Brewing Co.'s core audience of 21- to 34-year-olds who will want to celebrate the moon landing anniversary even though it was their parents and grandparents who were alive to see it, Hitch said. "We are constantly exploring ways to honor these missions and these great achievements," she added, and those tributes include an Apollo 11 TV spot that released this week. More campaigns will be unveiled in the next few months.
- Budweiser Brews Limited Lager for Moon Landing 50th Anniversary
- Elon Musk Jabs Jeff Bezos Over Blue Origin's Moon Lander
- Blue Origin Performs First Test of BE-7 Lunar Lander Engine
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