Les Amigos and the Toronto Generals — two Port Credit, Ont., men’s beer league teams — were informed that they would be the subject of a documentary about adult rec hockey. They agreed for their Dec. 21 match to be filmed under that pretense. Little did these know that they were being set up.
Just when you thought the whole flash-mob-as-marketing-campaign thing might have run its course, Budweiser pulls a joyful stunt on two Canadian rec teams that makes you think otherwise.
What begins as your typical league game between a bunch of washed-up or never-were pros — a bored girlfriend or two making up the entire arena attendance — suddenly turns into a raucous affair with all the bells and whistles: commentators, Jumbotron replays, belly-painted fans, mascots, handmade signs, and, yes, a T-shirt gun.
“It was a regular league game. They didn’t know it was Budweiser,” spokesperson Briar Wells said of the event. “The company paid for the fans to cheer and to show up in each of the teams’ colours.”
Stunned and thrilled, the Amigos and Generals (watch below) rise to the occasion, pushing the game to overtime.
“We talked about it afterwards as a team. We all felt that we had just experienced a bucket list event and we all felt very lucky to have been a part of it,” Amigos captain Alex MacKenzie said in a statement.
The surprise commercial is scheduled to debut during Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcast.
