• by Les Luchter , June 1, 2021

Had a trip canceled or postponed last year? If so, get your receipt, write a brief essay on “where you were going, who you were with and what you were most excited about,” and you could win an all-expenses-paid trip for four to… Mango County!

And where exactly is Mango County? It’s “a state of mind” that’s triggered when you open a can of Mango Cart Wheat Ale, according to Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing, which markets the beer inspired by that city’s fruit cart vendors.

To convey the vibe of Mango County, D’Arcy Carden (Janet in NBC’s “The Good Place”) plays Jennie Jensen, the county’s “#1 (and only) travel agent” in five humorous short “tourism” videos just launched at visitmangocounty.com. and YouTube.

Jennie, of course, is not your typical travel agent, if such a creature even exists in these days of self-booking. For one thing, she only deals with one locale. “You want to get a great deal going to Miami?” Use a search engine, you big dumb idiot. It’s 2021!” she declares in video #1.

In the videos, directed by JJ Adler (“The Onion News Network,” Netflix’s “Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show”), Carden gets help from members of her former troupe, the Upright Citizens Brigade. Together, they provide fictional guides to fictional Mango County’s dining, accommodations, recreation and culture.

A concurrent Mango County ad campaign, developed by creative agency Giant Spoon, includes :15 and :30 spots. It’s running until just after Labor Day on paid social and digital (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), connected TV (Hulu, Roku) and programmatic buys.

The contest itself, though, is very real. It runs through June 18, with the winner to receive $10,700 in prizes as follows: four $1,000 airline gift cards; one $4,000 Airbnb gift card; four $400 prepaid cards for “daily stipends”; $700 prepaid card for car rental or other transportation services;  and four $100 Golden Road Brewing gift cards.

“As a California native and UCB alum, it was so fun to bring this campaign to life with Golden Road and my fellow comedians,” said Carden. “Mango County is different for everyone — it encourages folks to embrace what makes them happy, whether that’s kicking back with your close friends, enjoying a beer at home or taking a trip to a place you’ve missed.”

Golden Road Brewing, whose products are available on tap at five pubs in California as well as nationwide in cans, was founded 10 years ago and acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2015. Other Golden Brewing brands include Wolf Pup Session IPA and Fruit Cart Hard Seltzer.