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! Glen Howerton, aka. Dennis tweeted the following:

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

I’m not sure I understand why this is an “or” statement. Would the program cease to exist without Coors? But I get your point. The lead actors, who also created the show, probably didn’t earn much for the first couple of years and are entitled to monetize. That 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 holders, napkin holders, slight shadow on 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 isn’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 viewers’ faces.

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 Coors Light bottles at Philly 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 vain Dennis are drinking Coors Light. Remember, this is the team that drank cheap wine from a can of Diet Coke.

what they should be drinking

Bars in South Philly can be roughly divided into two categories: hipster bars and local bars. Hipsters have moved to parts of South Philly and are often found drinking PBRs, other cans like Dale’s Pale Ale, or craft beers like those from semi-local Victory Brewing Company. Considering that Paddy’s few customers 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 he already has the Surroundings Product placement. Miller Lite is one option. But the better 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 against the usual 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 fit perfectly.

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 they had to.