Riverbend Brewing Fudges Up
In the latest example of tone deaf marketing and branding, Riverbend Brewing of Bend, Oregon has unveiled a new beer called Fudge Me Berry Hard. The label depicts what appears to be a cartoonish chunk of fudge uncomfortably penetrating a raspberry sexually.
I was first shown this label a few weeks ago and had trouble believing this would actually be released. In addition to the name and the obvious connotations, the fudge character has a face of delighted ecstasy while the raspberry looks distressed and in pain, and the leaves flying off look like a bra -- another awe inspiring detail that helps cement this as one of the more jaw-dropping moves by an Oregon brewery.
After receiving the press release announcing Fudge Me Berry Hard and another beer called Blunder Armour Northwest IPA, I asked Riverbend brewer Mike Brady if they did not see any issue with the Fudge Me label.
"We understand it is a bit risqué, but it’s in good humor, comical, and consensual. We have received good feedback from when we have showed this to many" said Brady.
All that says to me is that some people have learned nothing and must be existing in a bubble outside of these times. I have been accused of risqué works myself, but this seems going above and beyond risqué and isn't even sexy but just in bad taste.Am I wrong? I am sure you will all weigh in in the comments.
Tweaks to the RiverBend Fudge Me Berry Hard label: on the left is the original illustration, and on the right the softened version.
Since Fudge Me Berry Hard’s release in March 2019 and the ensuing controversy, they tweaked the label to give the berry a big smile rather than a painful gasp expression, and removed the sweaty beads. But that wasn’t enough to quell the controversy, and after the brewer and sales managment embarked on their own public online battles by hurling more offensive language at their critics, they eventually backed down and completely redesigned the label. The rather bitter dispute with those who didn’t appreciate the original art lingered on, and never truly went away.
The original commercial description for Fudge Me Berry Hard by RiverBend Brewing:
Even though spring is here, doesn’t mean the dark beers should disappear. Fudge Me Berry Hard (yes you read that right) is a creamy, delicate imperial milk porter with a giant addition of raspberry puree, cocoa nibs and vanilla. Decedent, dessert-like, and delicious with flavor notes of milk chocolate, ripened raspberries and hot cocoa. Served in 16oz 4-pack cans and very limited draft, it is a switch compared to our very heavy IPA wheelhouse.Although it’s something we have wanted to brew for years.
Ah, yes, that is a piece of chocolate and a berry falling deeply in love on that label…
With both of these new releases we would love to give some thanks and appreciation to Peak Design Collective (@peakdesigncollective) for creating and designing these labels.
Fudge Me Berry Hard – 8% ABV
Malts - Great Western Pale, pale chocolate, midnight wheat, chocolate, munich, flaked
barley, crystal 60, rolled oats, lactose milk sugar
Hops – Millenium, Bravo, CTZ, Belma
Yeast – Imperial Juice
Additions – Oregon Fruit raspberry puree, cocoa nibs, vanilla