The sports community waved goodbye to one of the all-time great athletes this weekend after Serena Williams ended her U.S. Open run and, most likely, her dominant tennis career.
To celebrate Williams’ “evolution away from tennis,” as she put it, Michelob Ultra created a limited edition 24-pack of cans celebrating her excellence on the court, and is giving it away on social media.
The Serena Pack includes a can for each of her 23 major victories “and one more for everything she will continue to achieve.” It comes in a special-edition box that looks a lot more like a box for sneakers than for beer, and each can features a photo of Williams from one of her major victories.
A can for every major victory and one more for everything she will continue to achieve. We made 100 of these special 24-packs to toast the G.O.A.T. @serenawilliams and the joy she’s had on and off the court.
Reply with #SerenaPack if you need one! pic.twitter.com/ZXUCPY7aMV
— Michelob ULTRA (@MichelobULTRA) September 3, 2022
Because everything needs to be limited quantity to maximize hype these days, the Serena Pack will be limited to just 100, rather than created for mass consumption.
It’s a little bit like what Budweiser did when Lionel Messi broke Pele’s record for goals scored with a single club, sending out 644 personalized beer bottles to each of the goalkeepers Messi has scored on. Each one had the corresponding goal number on it, and came in a custom box.
"In this game, no goal is easy"
Which is why we’ve created a custom bottle for all 644 goals Leo Messi scored. Yes, that’s 644 unique bottles.
Sent to all 160 goalkeepers Messi scored against to toast their part in making history.#BeAKing #Messi #KingOfBeers #KingOfFootball pic.twitter.com/1oCgLvQm6B
— Budweiser Football (@budfootball) December 23, 2020
Michelob Ultra knows the power of a collector’s item, and tennis fans will probably want to hold onto a can from the Serena Pack (not to mention the box itself) for a while. It becomes a display item worth much more than the beer that’s inside of it, thanks to just a bit of printing and design magic.
Whether or not we’ve really seen the last of Serena Williams on a tennis court remains to be seen, but Michelob Ultra is at least celebrating her victories so far, and giving tennis fans a reason to interact with them on social media.
Also, at a time where beer brands are opting for more off-the-wall promotions, this is sort of a return to form, focusing on a theme but making it about the beer in the end.
