Should Coors Light appear on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Preface saying that I think It’s always sunny in Philly is one of the best shows on tv right now. However, this season’s Coors Light product placement is driving me crazy! Glenn Howerton, aka. Dennis, tweeted the following:

Would most people rather see us drink cans that say “BEER” on Sunny or get paid from COORS to put on a good show that people like?

I’m not sure I understand why this is an “or” statement. Would the show cease to exist without Coors? But I understand your point. The main actors, who also created the show, probably didn’t earn much in the early years and are entitled to monetize. That being said, I have two problems.

The first is a complete lack of subtlety. Would a bar really be sponsored almost exclusively by Coors Light? The signs, napkin rings, napkin rings, light shade over the pool table, lack of other faucets in sight, etc. Would bar owners drink the same beer exclusively? Only if that beer was free, which it doesn’t. With the plethora of beer options, they would mix it up. And the prevalence of other characters drinking it, just throws Coors Light in the onlookers face.

The second is a matter of choice. Coors Light seems strange to these guys. I lived in Philly for nine years and I’m sure people don’t drink bottles of Coors Light unless they’re on a super cheap sale or special offer. No one drinks bottles of Coors Light at Philadelphia dive bars, especially in South Philly where Paddy’s is located. And what’s worse, it’s not really believable that any of the characters, except for the vain Dennis, are drinking Coors Light. Remember, this is the team that drank cheap wine out of a Diet Coke can.

what they should be drinking

Bars in South Philly can be roughly divided into two categories: hipster bars and local bars. Hipsters have moved into parts of South Philadelphia and are usually found drinking PBR, other cans like Dale’s Pale Ale, or craft beers, like those from the semi-local Victory Brewing Company. Considering that Paddy’s few patrons are old, it’s not a hipster bar.

It’s a locals bar. Philly locals drink cheap local beer, but not bottles of Coors Light. Perennial favorites are Budweiser and Miller Lite. Budweiser is out because it already has the Surroundings Product placement. Miller Lite is an option. But the best option would be Yuengling, a step up from the mass-produced Miller. Yuengling is from eastern Pennsylvania and has a semi-national footprint. It’s the beer served at Philadelphia-area college keg parties when it comes to ranking it up against the regular Natural Light. Yuengling is so prevalent in the area that its flagship brand is known simply as “beer.” For It’s always sunny in PhillyYuengling would have been a perfect fit.

Perhaps Yuengling had no interest in advertising through the show. Maybe they did, but his offer was significantly worse than Coors Light’s. I hate to complain about a show I enjoy, but I wish they could have done more realistic product placement, if it had to be done at all.