Baseball star Wade Boggs says he wants to set the record straight: He’s actually the inspiration for Pabst Blue Ribbon’s “Cool Blue” mascot.
In what appears to be a sneaky marketing campaign for PBR, Boggs claims that PBR “stole his identity,” per the April 17 exposé-style video. He alleges that the classic baseball bat-wielding mascot, often appearing in vintage advertisements, shares an uncanny resemblance to him. To combat this “theft,” Boggs, has launched a website (which appears to be owned by Pabst) to share the truth behind the #BoggsIsBlue campaign.
Boggs’ baseball career spanned 18 seasons as third baseman for several Major League Baseball teams including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. Boggs is also notorious for slurping down copious amounts of beer: It’s rumored that he once consumed 107 brewskies during a cross-country flight. (VinePair does not recommend trying this feat at home.)
The website notes the similarities between Boggs and PBR’s Cool Blue are undeniable. PBR was founded in 1844, and in 1983, Boggs scored 18 to 44 against the Milwaukee Brewers (PBR headquarters’ home team). Boggs also scored 47 triples as part of the Boston Red Sox, and PBR has an alcohol content of 4.7 percent. The mustachioed cartoon mascot also plays baseball and has red hair, similar to Boggs.
Coincidence? He thinks not.
“Pabst Blue Ribbon owes me, and fans across the nation, the truth: Boggs is Blue,” Boggs states in a press release. “I’m after justice, and nothing tastes better with it than an ice cold PBR. This is why I’m calling on Pabst to meet my demands, admit the truth, and serve up some beers in Cool Blue’s honor to fans everywhere.”
The Hall of Famer lists several of his “demands” on the website, including:
1. Pabst must admit the truth, that Boggs is Blue
2. Create the Boggs Discount for my fans: $12 Off for a 12x All-Star
3. Name a brewery after me
4. Print my face on bottles
5. Publish my world famous Boggs chicken recipe
6. Make me the official Pabst Blue Ribbon spokesperson
Only time will tell if PBR will honor Boggs’ requests.
