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Tapping Into the Moment

 

MUG Root Beer has always been about two things: our iconic bulldog mascot, Dog, and the unfiltered chaos that our fans, the MUG Maniacs, bring to the table. This year, we took that energy and turned it into something completely unexpected: the MUG Dawg DNA Kit. Because who doesn’t want to know just how much dawg they’ve got in them?

The Dawg DNA Kit was our tongue-in-cheek take on those dog breed DNA tests everyone’s been obsessed with. With our audience’s love for the phrase “Got That Dawg in You” (yes, we trademarked it), we knew we had the perfect opportunity to make some noise and own the moment.

Building the Big Idea

 

We created a spoof off of popular genealogy shows where the protagonist discovers he’s got that dawg in him. To bring it all together, we launched a test kit tied to the storyline and dropped it on our TikTok shop with the wild, over-the-top energy MUG Maniacs know and love.

Turning an Idea Into Viral Energy

 

On launch day, we hosted a TikTok Live featuring Dog himself—a move that not only sold out our kits in just two hours but also brought in 2.4 million unique views. From TikTok comments to conversations overheard in college towns and on NYC subways, people couldn’t stop talking about it. The campaign reached over a billion earned media impressions and racked up 40+ million social views in just three days.

Finding the Right Balance

 

Leaning into our audience’s love for Dog while keeping the campaign polished wasn’t without its challenges. We had to find the sweet spot between MUG’s unfiltered, chaotic humor and the broader appeal of a genealogy parody. By letting our signature humor guide every decision, we made sure diehard fans felt seen while welcoming new ones into the mix.

Making Maniacs Out of Fans

 

This campaign was about showing how strong our connection is with Gen Z. By meeting them where they live (on TikTok and Instagram) and speaking their language (with humor that hits), we created a moment. The Dawg DNA Kit proves what happens when you put your fans at the center of everything you do.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering… yeah, we’ve got that dawg in us.