Duff Beer: ‘The Simpsons’ Beer Is Coming To Stores — But Not In The U.S.
Duff Beer, the popular drink featured in The Simpsons, is reportedly going to be sold in the real world sooner than you might think!
According to the Wall Street Journal, Homer Simpson’s favorite beverage will go far above and beyond the boundaries of Springfield.
For more than two decades, fans and critics of The Simpsons around the world have fallen in love with trademark phrases, characters, and settings from the long-running FOX cartoon series.
Homer Simpson’s beloved ‘Duff Beer’ will soon be available to real drinkers http://t.co/sSQU0GqT3v
— TIME.com (@TIME) July 11, 2015
Duff Beer has essentially created a life of its own. The Wall Street Journal even reports that its heroic mascot, Duffman, has his own fan base and popular blog.
Therefore, it’s likely not that big a surprise to longtime fans of The Simpsons that Duff Beer is going to jump off of the printed page and head into stores in the real world. What might surprise fans, though, is why it’s taken so long for this type of business venture to take off in the first place.
The truth is that quite a few people have tried to sell Duff Beer, capitalizing on the fake market created by Matt Groening with The Simpsons to turn a profit in the real world.
According to WSJ, companies in various countries around the world attempted to do so — but failed.
The Simpsons – still got it: Duff Beer ‘Drink and bet responsibly’ @TheSimpsonsTube @TheSimpsons @TheSimpsons4Ev pic.twitter.com/qXFN5lDXrw
— GolfPunkHQ (@GolfPunk_Mag) June 22, 2015
Why? 21st Century Fox reportedly refused to allow any company to touch it. The only reason why the current attempt to market Duff Beer is going through successfully is because the mass media corporation is behind it.
Longtime fans of The Simpsons should not get too excited about seeing the cartoon cans and bottles of Duff Beer recreated for the real world. According to the report, the company is apparently going in a different direction when it comes to packaging.
“[21st Century Fox] has been consulting with a brewmaster to get the flavor just right, and plans subtle packaging with no obvious nods to the TV show—just an exact replica of the cartoon brew that will play like an inside joke for Simpsons superfans.”
In addition, fans in the United States should not get too excited about seeing Duff Beer sold in local supermarkets and grocery stores. As of right now, there are no confirmed plans of Duff Beer making it to the U.S. at all.
Multiple reports confirm that the first target market for Duff Beer will be Chile, primarily to fight against the high number of unauthorized versions that seem to keep resurfacing throughout the country.
Jeffrey Godsick, president of the consumer products division of 21st Century Fox, opened up about the company’s strategy in this regard.
“Once you see enough piracy, you are faced with two choices. One is deciding to fight it, and the other is deciding to go out [into the market] with it.”
After reaching Chile, there are plans to roll out Duff Beer throughout South America and eventually into Europe. There is still a chance that the beverage may end up being sold in U.S. stores in the future, though, since Godsick claims that “there’s potential to have Duff everywhere in the world.”
In the meantime, all fans of The Simpsons can continue to enjoy Duff Beer on the cartoon as well as within Universal Studio’s theme parks in Los Angeles and Orlando.
[Image Credit: Junk Food Taster]
