Blake Robinson (left) and Michael Galpert (center) talk to a Crumpler representative about the company's creative 'Beer for Bags' campaign
(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET Networks)A field test on Sunday proved that yes, you can walk into either of Crumpler's Manhattan stores this week and, as part of their Beer for Bags promotion, trade in some Stella Artois or Pabst Blue Ribbon (among other things) for one of the Australian company's bright-colored bags--a favorite of some of Crave's camera and laptop aficionados. Crumpler representatives said that the campaign had been a huge success thus far, and indeed, on the second day of the promotion, the Crumpler store at 49 8th Avenue (the other's at 45 Spring St.) was already packed full of cases, cans, and six-packs.
(Some of the libations were made available for consumption on the spot; the rest will be served at a party for all participants later this week.)
I collaborated on the Beer for Bags test effort with two other local blog folk, Worth1000's Michael Galpert and CrunchGear's Blake Robinson. (One run to the beer distributor is way more efficient than three, after all.) While Crumpler isn't a tech company per se, the "B4B" promotion has been getting lots of positive buzz around NYC's tech community for a number of reasons: first, it's an innovative marketing tool that highlights Crumpler's target demographic and helps shape the brand, and us techies like business-y buzzwords like that; and second, they make great bags for toting around our gadgets, from laptops to cell phones to cameras.
Plus, bartering is so delightfully old-school. In today's high-tech world we can pay for stuff with credit cards, gift cards, and even cell phones. There's something very appealing about being able to trade stuff. It seems almost like it shouldn't be legal.
Blake Robinson (right) partakes in some post-Beer for Bags refreshment with two freeloaders who'd towed along when they heard there would be free drinks at the Crumpler store.
(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET Networks)My selection? In addition to a cute little bag for the camcorder I'm hoping to invest in soon, I swapped two cases of Negra Modelo (along with a bottle of hot sauce and a lime) for a Crumpler bean bag chair, which will be adorning my cubicle as soon as I order pellets to fill it.
The highlight of the afternoon was definitely when a (chaperoned) trio of 9-year-olds came into the store carrying six-packs of Rolling Rock and proceeded to trade them in for new school bags. Presumably, their parents had done the purchasing.
Crumpler's Beer for Bags sale runs from June 9 through June 17.
If you happen to be wandering around Manhattan with some extra beer between June 9 and June 17, you might want to swing by one of Crumpler's two stores to exchange it for a bag. The high-end bag maker is running its second annual Beer for Bags campaign in which customers can bring in beer to barter for one of the company's messenger, laptop, or photo bags. Crumpler has been running the same kind of sale in its home base of Australia for five years now, and last year's introductory New York sale saw over 1,000 cases of beer exchanged for bags.
Wondering how much brew you need to get a bag? The company offers some guidance on its Web site. For example, two cases of Asahi and a packet of ramen noodles will get you a Moderate Embarrassment laptop bag that normally sells for $80. Similarly, two cases of Stella Artois earns you a Complete Seed messenger bag. As for me, I think I'll just wander over with a case of Keegan Ales' Mother's Milk Stout and a six-pack of Saranac Black Forest and see how far that'll get me. I guess, much like Billy Joel, I'm in a New York State of mind.
Crumpler's two Manhattan stores are located at 45 Spring St. and 49 Eighth Ave. In case you're wondering what will happen to all the beer from the sale, Crumpler will use some for a party after the sale, to which participants will be invited. The rest will be donated to art, charity, and sporting events.
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