Chick Magnets and Beer: What The Simpsons' Duff Beer Can Teach Us About Branding
On “From Beer to Paternity,” a recent episode of the classic TV series The Simpsons, Duff Beer decided to implement a rebrand. Their old brand mascot, Duffman, is an aging frat boy who’s now viewed as an out-of-touch relic in our current times - he carries a giant “chick magnet” and shouts “Oh yeah” while doing pelvic thrusts. So, Duff gives consumers the chance to vote for his replacement - Woketopus (“the most open-minded mollusk on the block”), Hops & Barley (“lady brewologists who don't even know they're pretty”), or Helen Mirren.
As branding specialists, we at Pearl Consulting NYC would first like to congratulate Duff Beer on understanding the importance of branding. Kudos! It’s essential to find a message that will resonate with consumers, and that message sometimes needs to be updated, refreshed, rejiggered, or dropped into a wood chipper.
But Duff Beer didn’t do a great job of refreshing its brand
Why? Well, mainly because it’s a fictional company invented by comedy writers. But also, Duff failed to follow some essential rules of branding, such as:
1. Consider your existing base
It’s understandable that a company with a problematic, out-of-date mascot would like something new, but it’s dangerous to steer a hairpin curve. It’s not impossible for a company to successfully reposition itself by throwing its entire consumer base under the bus in pursuit of a different market, but an extreme change in course can flop dramatically.
Sure, there’s a population of Brooklyn hipsters who might be engaged by Woketopus, but are there enough of them to make up for the loss of all the Homers who have supported you unfailingly for decades? Honestly, there are more Homers than hipsters in America, so if you’re going to really niche down, make sure there’s enough of an audience to support your brand and that your message is clearly targeted to them.
2. Communicate authentically
Helen Mirren is terrific, but choosing a mascot who doesn’t know what Duff beer is, let alone actually drink it, could come across as a cynical scheme to appeal to a new niche.
Inauthentic branding is also represented in a separate plot thread. In typical Simpsons fashion, Duffman, a lapsed father, becomes convinced that Homer is a great dad who can teach him valuable parenting lessons. Even though this wasn’t Homer’s intention, once he realizes it’s getting him bro-time with his idol he goes all in on his fake “great dad” brand. And it works fine - for about a day and a half.
Don’t pretend you’re the opposite of what you are. You won’t be able to keep it up for long.
3. Have a clear message before creating the bells and whistles
What do Woketopus, Hops & Barley, and Helen Mirren have in common? Well, nothing, actually. And that means Duff doesn’t have a clear brand message. First, they need to decide who their ideal customer is and create a brand message that speaks to them. Only then should they consider logo or mascot changes that better represent the new messaging.
4. Don’t let randos make your decisions
It’s good to get some thoughtful, considered opinions from your ideal customers when working on your brand, but don’t just ask everyone you know what they think. Your nephew might have strong opinions, but he may not really understand your market. Consumer polls can be a great way to get some PR - over the years, General Mills had multiple “let the rabbit eat Trix” votes - but companies shouldn’t outsource their decision-making to random passersby.
Did Duff Beer Successfully Rebrand?
Did Duffman lose his job? Did Lisa realize that Homer was pretending to be a good dad? Spoiler: everything turns out the way you expect it will. Of course it did, because that’s the Simpsons brand - everything is mocked, nothing changes, and no one remembers any lessons they learned.
If you don’t have a brand, learn from Duff Beer that branding is an important part of a successful business. If you do have a brand, don’t do a brand refresh designed by comedy writers. And if you need help with your brand voice, contact us here.
