Moo Brew are inviting drinkers to put the choice of their next beer in the hand of fate with the launch of a custom made Russian Roulette style vending machine. The promotional tool, which wouldn't look out of place in the underground amusement park in Joseph Heller's Closing Time, will be unveiled at the Newtown Hotel in Sydney today.
Drinkers pay their money, firing the machine into action, and hope one of the brewery's new look cans is their prize, but do so knowing they may end up with a beer they'd rather give the bullet.
The idea came from Moo Brew head brewer Dave Macgill.
“One of my mates, his father got sick of all his mates coming round and stealing his beer," he says, "so he converted an old Coca Cola vending machine into a custom built one and charged them $2 for a beer and took the revenues to fill it up again.
"I thought it was genius, and ever since then have wanted one full of Moo.”
To celebrate the relaunch of their entire range in cans – and the appearance of the offbeat marketing campaign – Moo has lined up ten cases of its beers for Crafty Pint readers. Take a photo of yourself taking a punt on the machine during its run in Sydney and, subsequently, at the Melbourne Festival, post it on Instagram with the tags #moobrewroulette and #craftypint and, together with the Moo Brew team, we'll pick our five favourites from each city to win a case.
The concept was brought to life by Sydney based FINCH, who commissioned a team of six mechatronic engineers, 3D artists and production designers to bring the idea to life.
FINCH Director of Technology Emad Tahtouh said: "Every once in a while, an opportunity to build something wonderful and fantastical presents itself, which is just too good to pass up. When Moo Brew asked us to design and build a Russian Roulette inspired vending machine, where customers could put their beer selection in the hands of fate, how could we resist?”
The machine is at Newtown Hotel until October 1 then will be at the Melbourne Festival opening and closing parties. From October 6 to 21, you'll find it at The Garden State Hotel, in Flinders Lane, where, on October 6, Dave will be shouting beers for guests.
Once the festival is over, it will find a permanent home at Mona (the Museum of Old and New Art) from mid November.
“We’re hoping Walshy doesn’t claim it for his ‘private collection’,” says Dave, referring to the museum and brewery’s owner David Walsh.
Given he once paid for one of BrewDog's 55 percent ABV, stuffed in tartan-wearing roadkill, End Of History beers and installed it on the bar at Mona with an even more inflated price tag, we wouldn't put it past him.
You'll find Moo Brew Roulette at the Newtown Hotel, 174 King Street, Newtown, from today until October 1.
Full details on the Melbourne Festival are here, while you'll find the Garden State Hotel at 101 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.