Brooklyn-based brewery Lineup Brewing created a Beyoncé-inspired beer, Biëryoncé, without the singer’s permission.
Beyonce is a marketing genius and has built a brand so strong that everything that resembles it sells fast, and beer would not be different. In the case of Lineup Brewing’s product, they adapted both Beyoncé’s name and iconography, packaging the German Pilsner Biëryoncé in a black and pink can reminiscent of the minimal art featured on “Beyoncé”, the iconic 2013 album.
Not surprisingly, the launch was a media success. And the cease and desist letter didn’t take long. But what Lineup Brewing did after receiving that letter was even a better idea.
What now?
The brewery is a woman-owned and operated business, and the idea of naming a product after Beyonce was fueled by the concepts of female strength and empowerment she promotes, according to Lineup’s owner, Katarina Martinez. In the Year of the Woman, Lineup applied those same concepts to turn an uncomfortable situation into the best celebration: honoring their badass female brewer and owner, they re-named the beer Kätariná.
Wasn’t that a good move? I’m sure Beyoncé would be proud.