Pabst Blue Ribbon is giving slasher fans a reason to celebrate Friday the 13th early this fall. The brewery has partnered with Horror Inc.’s Jason Universe for an autumn campaign featuring wearable Jason Voorhees 12-pack packaging, all-new merchandise, and nationwide fan activations.
“Pabst and Jason are two American icons that have each played their own part in Halloween fun for generations, so bringing them together just made sense,” said Zac Nadile, Head of Brand Strategy at Pabst Brewing Company. “We turned a 12-pack into a Jason mask and, in the process, solved that all-too-familiar problem of figuring out a last-minute Halloween costume.”
The campaign lands ahead of Peacock and A24’s anticipated “Crystal Lake” prequel series. Alongside the wearable beer boxes, the partnership will release co-branded apparel, glassware, bobbleheads, tap handles, tackers and koozies.
The promotion kicks off in September and runs through Friday, Nov. 13, featuring several regional and digital activations:
- New York Comic Con (Oct. 8–11): PBR x Jason Universe nightlife takeovers will host fans at local venues surrounding NYCC.
- The Fest 24 (Oct. 23 – 25): The collaboration brings Jason-themed PBR swag to key downtown venues and partner bars throughout the multi-day indie music festival.
- Nationwide Watch Parties: On Oct. 15, PBR x Jason Universe will partner with top-tier horror creators to host Crystal Lake-themed watch parties, backed by capsule merchandise, including collectible popcorn buckets.
- National Sweepstakes & Retail Displays: Supported by towering 6-foot retail standees–and featuring custom 3-foot Jason Voorhees bobbleheads on display at select stores–fans can enter a nationwide sweepstakes across social platforms for a chance to win one of these oversized collectibles, Jason x PBR-themed merchandise, and more.
- Seasonal Micro-Campaigns: Immersive digital activations will trigger all autumn long, specifically celebrating Halloween, National Hockey Mask Day (Nov. 1), and a “Last Chance to Buy” campaign fittingly landing on Friday, Nov. 13.
