Redskins Celebrate Fight Song Anniversary With Beer, Hope to Drive Fan Engagement

The Washington Redskins felt the perfect way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the team’s fight song was with a beer.

The football team partnered with Devils Backbone Brewing Company to brew up two special beers: ATTR Burgundy Ale and ATTR Golden Ale, which will be available exclusively at FedExField in 16-ounce cans.

“ATTR allows fans to commemorate with us and become a part of Redskins history with a brand new product at our stadium,” said Steve Ziff, the Redskins chief marketing officer.

Game Day!! @Redskins fans be sure to look for #ATTR Burgundy and #ATTR Gold at FedEx Field – at all Devils Backbone stands & sections 137, 121, 319 and 408. And tells us your fave using #ATTRburgundy #contest or #ATTRgold #contest pic.twitter.com/dCHQPBGxWt

— Devils Backbone (@dbbrewingco) November 4, 2018

The brewery proposed doing two beers based on the Redskins’ color schemes and then collaborated on the flavors profiles, which, according to Devils Backbone COO Hayes Humphreys, was easy since members of the Redskins were familiar with the brewery’s sessionable lager and ale styles.

“They’re easy to drink and perfect for sporting events,” Humphreys said.

Fans are offered the chance to vote for which beer will continue on into the future — and will likely make its way outside of the stadium next season, Humphreys said.

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“Let’s let them have a say in it,” Humphreys said. “It’s just in the stadium now as we test it out, concept it out, really to let the die-hard fans, the ones buying tickets and going to games, have a say as a reward for coming out to the stadium.”

Humphreys also said the Redskins have been welcoming to the activation of Devils Backbone within the stadium with tastings and other promotional activities.

“You can drink it and have that added game day experience,” said Humphreys of the potential of picking up a four-pack of beers and watching at home. “We really want to engage fans and get them some ownership of the beer of the football team.”

The collaboration started with simple conversations in hopes to brew a beer to help further both brands, Humphreys said. While “nothing happens without some level of lawyers,” Humphreys said both parties understood the beers would be exciting and beneficial.

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“We had a lot of conversations about what this would be and how to do it, long before legal arrangements,” he said. “It was basically use our brand responsibly and vice versa. There’s not a big financial component, they get beer in the stadium and we get a great partnership.”

“We know it’s not just the beer, but highlighting the Redskins’ iconography.”

Devils Backbone has seen sales steadily increase at FedExField since its initial foray into the stadium in 2014, where its best-selling beer is the brewery’s Vienna Lager.

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The Virginia brewery also partners with the Washington Nationals and released the collaboration Earned Run Ale out into the D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia markets this year, the partnership’s second, which helped see an 800 percent increase in production.

The Nationals partnership has provided a roadmap and Humphreys hopes similar results will come with the Redskins collaboration.

“The first year we’re doing a few batches of each, a few thousand cases of beer,” he said. “This will be a long-term partnership. It’s not massive numbers, but nice and fun to do and exciting to be a part of something so important to the fabric of the community.”