The Anchorman 2 Hype Train Reaches Specialty Coffee

If you have been without a television or internet connection for the past six months, you may not yet be aware that Anchorman 2, the sequel 2004’s Anchorman starring Will Ferrell, is coming soon to theaters. (The release date has most recently been moved up to Dec. 18).

A huge deal between Paramount, Chrysler and Ferrell’s own Funny or Die has led to one of the biggest movie marketing campaigns in history, with the Portland office of creative agency Wieden + Kennedy producing some 67 video commercials featuring the Ron Burgundy character and the Dodge Durango. Time will tell how the movie performs, but word is that Durango sales were up some 59 percent in October.

More recently, we’ve been seeing reports of people throughout the country receiving locked wooden boxes marked “confidential” at their doorsteps. The boxes, with the words “Stay Classy” spraypainted on the side, come with a letter from a “secret admirer” telling the recipient he or she has been selected to participate in the “Hands on Ron Burgundy” campaign. Check out sightings of the boxes here and here.

What’s in the box? Believe it or not, coffee swag: a Bodum French press, sugar cubes and six bags of coffee marked “24-hour News Blend” from an unnamed roaster. To the naked eye, the bags appear to be about 8 ounces and the coffee within seems to have a relatively light roast. We know Vermont’s Ben & Jerry’s has been part of the Anchorman 2 hype train, but thus far the coffee supplier remains a mystery.

Initial suspects include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which has worked with Ben & Jerry’s in the past, as well as Canada’s Tim Horton’s, which was briefly shown in a Canadian promotion starring Ferrell. But could it be a smaller roaster, perhaps one of San Diego’s fine micros such as Cafe Virtuoso or Bird Rock Coffee? Contact us if you have any hot tips.

In the meantime, here is what we envision Ron Burgundy’s specialty coffee reporting might look like: