The sheer ingenuity of mankind is magnificent in its scope and ambition. The past 12 months alone has seen our species develop multiple vaccines for a deadly disease in an incredibly short period of time, land a flying robot on the surface of Mars, and usher in the age of commercial space flight.
Whether it’s science or medicine, it seems there’s no chasm too vast to be crossed when mankind applies its three-pound mass of grey matter to the task. It has also led to the creation of things like scented trash bags and banana slicers, so, you know, still some fine-tuning required.
Which brings us to the “Brewmboni,” the prototype for a new gadget you didn’t know you wanted or needed from Molson Canadian and agency partner Rethink. It combines a beer cooler and a robot vacuum with the shape (and sounds) of an ice resurfacing machine. We truly are living in amazing times.
Jessica Vieira Teixeira, manager of brand public relations with Molson Coors in Toronto, said the idea arose out of the beer brand’s longstanding association with hockey and a desire to talk to contemporary fans.
“We’re showing up in ways that are different, talk-worthy and interesting for the modern hockey fan,” said Teixeira. “We have an [approach] with our agencies that we want to see the things that might sound a little kooky or interesting or out-of-the-box. It was one of those things that was such a quick get: you understood what it was just from the title.”
The Brewmboni is currently only a (fully functioning) prototype, but Molson is inviting people to sign up to receive updates in order to gauge whether it might be commercially viable. Several people responded to a tweet announcing the product yesterday with variations on the popular “shut up and take my money” meme, so there could be a genuine consumer demand.
The Molson Canadian website is also offering downloadable CAD files enabling people with access to a 3D printer to create their own Brewmboni. “The beauty of this campaign is that it has a bit of mad genius-ness to it, so we thought let’s share these 3D printing files” said Teixeira. “I can’t say it’ll be easy, but you can create it.”
A robot vacuum in the shape of a Zamboni that doubles as a beer cooler is cool and all, but it’s got a ways to go before it’s as fantastic as the cursing Roomba.
