CASE STUDY: NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY
OPPORTUNITY
Beer’s favorite trouble maker finds its next big stage.
As the fourth-largest craft brewery in the U.S., New Belgium has a history of bold moves and innovative thinking.
Its Voodoo Ranger line, launched in 2016, has carved out a distinctive position through its irreverent skeleton mascot and social media presence—not to mention its attention-grabbing marketing stunts. From drawing up plans for a beer-themed water park to creating a nearly indestructible can, Voodoo Ranger knows how to send an impactful message. But that message wasn’t reaching as wide an audience as it could.
New Belgium needed to bring its Voodoo Ranger mascot to life in a way that would resonate with its target audience of young, entertainment-seeking beer drinkers. The ideal ad solution would expand Voodoo Ranger’s reach with a replayable moment that fans would remember.
SOLUTION
Voodoo Ranger serves up its Imperial IPA in a cult comic revival.
Tubi’s in-house branded content studio, Tubi360, recognized an authentic alignment between the Voodoo Ranger brand and a Tubi Original that shares its bold, distinctive visual style and counterculture appeal.
The Freak Brothers—a modern adaptation of a beloved underground comic with a dedicated following spanning 50+ years—offered the ideal environment for Voodoo Ranger’s streaming debut. As a cult classic, the series perfectly evidences Tubi’s status as the place for passionate fandoms.
By integrating the Voodoo Ranger skeleton directly into the storyline for the season finale of The Freak Brothers, New Belgium brought its mascot to life in a way that felt both natural and memorable for fans.
Steps to Success:
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01
Finding the perfect media match
Tubi360’s creative team identified the season finale of The Freak Brothers as the perfect moment
for Voodoo Ranger’s streaming debut, matching the brand’s irreverent personality with content that
shares its demographic and psychographic profile.
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02
Bringing the brand into the story
Working closely with New Belgium’s brand team, Tubi brought the Voodoo Ranger mascot to life in
the distinctive animation style of The Freak Brothers, creating an original scene where the skeleton
serves up his namesake Imperial IPA.
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03
Spreading the word
Voodoo Ranger’s partnership with Tubi was amplified through co-branded social media content
and PR initiatives that drove awareness and engagement using both brands’ existing channels.
RESULTS
When the streaming moment is right, fans respond.
With this campaign, New Belgium integrated its Voodoo Ranger mascot directly into content that seamlessly aligns with its brand, reaching audiences in a new and captivating way that felt organic for longtime viewers.
The Freak Brothers proved to be the perfect platform, becoming one of the top five most watched Tubi Originals during the premier window. More importantly, the Voodoo Ranger integration delivered a 23% lift in both brand favorability and consideration among a key audience segment for New Belgium, according to Kantar. It goes to show that, when brands find the right entertainment moment, audiences embrace them.
“…we had the demographic fit, we had the physcographic fit, and we had the shared passion point of adult animation.. It was a product integration that doesn’t feel forced, and that’s how you build a brand.”
David Knopse – Sir. Director of Brands & Innovation, New Belguim Brewing
