Since launching less than six weeks ago, the Keeping Local Alive campaign has taken on a life of its own. The message behind it is simple: support your local beer businesses in any and every way you can through the COVID-19 crisis so they have the best chance of making it out the other side.
As well as taking off on socials, it's sparked an online festival and appeared on a growing number of beer labels across Australia, while the campaign video has been viewed tens of thousands of times and there's now #keepinglocalalive t-shirts you can order too.
And now the campaign team is launching Beer Swag Day to give Aussie beer lovers another way to show their love and support for the hundreds of breweries, bars and other beer businesses impacted by the ongoing shutdown.
Inspired by triple j's Ausmusic T-Shirt Day, on May 23 the Aussie beer community is encouraged to show off their favourite beer swag – their t-shirts, stubby holders, growlers, beanies, hoodies, glasses, bottle openers and whatever else in in their collection. There will be prizes for the best posts on Instagram and Facebook: for the most creative and entertaining; the biggest and most outrageous hauls; the most amazing bits of vintage swag.
Many local beer businesses have been encouraging people to add branded gear to their orders to help them through these tough times so, if you can afford to, pick up something new to show off your support for your favourite locals. If you've been hit hard by the pandemic and still want to take part, pull out your existing swag instead.
On the day, a panel of judges will select winners from each state and territory who will then go forward to a public vote to win the main prize. And what a prize it is: the ultimate gift for a beer lover in isolation – a camping swag filled with beer and beer swag!
For more on Beer Swag Day, including how to download social tiles and other artwork, head here. For more on the #keepinglocalalive campaign, head here.
How to take part
Bag Some Swag!
Pick up some new merch from your favourite local beer businesses (or pull out your existing swag if money's tight right now).
Show Us Your Swag!
Post photos of your haul online on May 23.
If you're on Instagram use the tags #keepinglocalalive and #beerswagday and make sure you tag the local businesses you're showcasing.
On Facebook, tag the @keepinglocalalive page, the businesses you're showcasing and use the tag #beerswagday.
You can start posting before the big day but we'll be looking at posts on the day when it comes to judging the prizewinners.
Win Some Swag!
We've got a case of local beer and a Keeping Local Alive t-shirt up for grabs for one winner in each Aussie state and the ACT*. We'll be looking for the biggest hauls, the most creative posts, the most amazing pieces of vintage clobber – whatever it takes to impress the team of #keepinglocalalive judges.
Win A Swag Full Of Beer Swag!
The winners* will go forward to a public vote to find the ultimate champion who will win a camping swag filled with beer and merch to be delivered to their door.
View the competition rules here.
* NB Gaming Control Regulations in the NT mean we can't offer the same prize to entrants there. Instead, we'll add extra merch on top of the Keeping Local Alive t-shirt for the winner of the best NT post.
