• by Steve Ellwanger , August 15, 2022

If you're in the mood to immerse yourself in beer and nostalgia, Pabst Blue Ribbon has three suitably designed hotel rooms for you.

Located in Michigan’s Grand Traverse Motel, they’re called The Arcade Room, The Dive Bar Room and The Rec Room.

Titled “Pabst Is The Place,” the initiative is intended to evoke memories of summer experiences that people can relate to involving a beer brand founded in 1844.

This campaign spot from the DNA agency provides a tour of The Rec Room—replete with wood paneling and shag carpet, board games, a foosball table and a queen-size bed masquerading as a pull-out sofa.

Asked about the genesis of the campaign concept, DNA associate creative director Becky Nissel says, “We were all drawn to the shared experiences that we all seem to have with Pabst and how it really brings about this mindset of classic nostalgia.

“We asked ourselves what if Pabst was an actual, physical place you could visit -- and that led us to Pabst The Place.”

The target audience for the campaign is less focused on age than it is a mindset, according to Pabst marketing director Rachel Keeton.

“The campaign not only speaks to the current base that already loves the brand and has all these experiences, but really resonates well with those newer fans who are looking for nostalgia to escape everyday stress,” says Keeton.

Campaign ads are running in 17 Midwest markets that have a high concentration of Pabst drinkers.

Traverse City, Michigan was chosen for its proximity to the Grand Traverse West Bay beach and other popular spots.

“When we were thinking about a location we didn’t want to just lure people out to the middle of nowhere off the side of an interstate, as a lot of motels are,” explains Nissel. “We chose Traverse City because it is a fabulous Midwestern destination where people from not just Michigan but all over the Midwest go to vacation in the summer.”

The Pabst rooms can be booked on the motel’s website through the end of August.