Depending on your particular point of view and beerosophy, it was either the day CUB got serious about promoting craft beer to a wider audience and put some money behind its beers, or the day Matilda Bay jumped the shark and went mainstream. Either way, it was one of the more creative beer marketing campaigns in recent years. Sure, it’s not as big as the Carlton Draught Massive Meat Wheel or the earlier Magnatron, but I think I’d rather race yaks in Mongolia drinking Fat Yak than ride the London Eye drinking Carlton Draught.

Anyway, the winner has been announced and, in a blow to all of those compulsive competition-entering-type people, it went to a bloke who bought just one carton. I’m sure the accountants at CUB are hoping that wasn’t the general trend for those entering the contest.

Media Release

Matilda Bay promotion sees some serious ‘yaktion’

Arguably the greatest consumer promotion ever conjured has finally come to a close and after 13,000 entries, the winner of the Fat Yak ‘Win a Racing Yak’ promotion has emerged, and boy is he the envy of beer drinkers everywhere.

Andrew Craine, a teacher from New South Wales is getting ready to start his yak and will saddle up against Mongolia’s finest racers this July for a test of strength, endurance and agility. The racers will have to be fearless with yaks known to reach incredible speeds of up to 18 kilometres per hour.

Andrew will be taking his wife and his best mate with him on this epic journey and if his yak wins (in the style of So You Think You Can Race a Yak) it will be the first time the coveted Ulan Bator Trophy has left Mongolian inland shores. Trophy or not, you can bet there’ll be photos, Tweets and Facebook updates direct from trackside.

After purchasing one single case for some Friday afternoon festivities, he only had to enter ONE time to win this coveted competition. Having never won anything in his life before, this is certainly a good place to start.

“I am tickled pink” says Andrew. “Absolutely delighted. Who knew I would ever be off to Mongolia?”

“I’ve got my akubra and my Driza-bone ready to go. I’m going to show these Mongolians how it’s done.”

As part of the recent promotion, Matilda Bay invested its ENTIRE GLOBAL SPONSORSHIP BUDGET into Mongolian yak racing, promising to send one lucky Fat Yak drinker to Mongolia to race a yak and meet the superstars of yak racing.

The promotional campaign, which consisted of a series of little ‘big’ ads on TV and a few billboards, was supplemented by two Mongolian BBQ dinners with some of Matilda Bay’s good mates from the media and trade in both Sydney and Melbourne. Matilda Bay showed guests the Yak love and celebrated the promotion with traditional Mongolian music and a Mongolian attired MC while sharing the story of Fat Yak’s birth into the Matilda Bay fold with host head brewer Scott Vincent.

Not entirely surprisingly this “Win a Racing Yak” promotion has been THE SINGLE MOST SUCCESSFUL PROMOTION IN MATILDA BAY HISTORY *!

While the official ‘yaktion’ may be over, the love of Fat Yak as Australia’s most loved Pale Ale will prevail. Fat Yak truly is a beer for all occasions – Mongolian or not. The slightly more approachable brother of the robust Alpha Pale Ale, Fat Yak is a delicious, hop driven ale in the modern North American style.

Matilda Bay is one of Australia’s leading craft breweries, producing some of Australia’s favourite specialty beers like Fat Yak, Alpha Pale Ale, the quirky Beez Neez, the wheat beer that started it all Redback and the salute to Oktoberfest lagers, Big Helga. Traditionally Matilda Bay also launches a limited seasonal release for summer and winter. These have included Crema, Barking Duck, Barking Flamingo and most recently Longshot.

For beer fans who are social media savvy become a fan of Matilda Bay on Facebook (Matilda Bay Brewing Company) or follow Matilda Bay and Scott Vincent on Twitter (@matildabaybeer).

*Well to be honest our first one . . . so far.

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