The Covid-19 pandemic has decimated the live music industry, and with concerts and music festivals going virtual for the foreseeable future, Yeti is supporting those out of work with a musician-backed auction.
The outdoor gear brand, known for its durable coolers and water bottles, has unveiled the One for the Roadies fundraiser for Crew Nation, a charitable organization that supports tour and venue crews impacted by the pandemic.
The brand tapped 37 musicians and bands to create personalized Roadie 24 Hard Coolers to be auctioned off today through Aug. 10. Participating artists include Green Day, Reba McEntire, Leon Bridges, Portugal the Man, AWOL Nation and Jason Aldean.
Bill Neff, vp of consumer marketing at Yeti, said the stories of concert industry workers who’ve been hit hard by the pandemic—such as those who have lost health insurance, don’t qualify for unemployment or have been forced to drain their savings to survive—inspired the brand to create One for the Roadies.
“Live music inspires millions around the world, but the concerts we all enjoy wouldn’t be possible without the countless crew members working behind the scenes,” Neff said. “As Covid-19 puts live events on pause, we wanted to find a way to do a little something to extend a helping hand to the touring and venue crews who depend on shows to make a living. Our hope is to rally fans of Yeti and all these great musicians to raise some much-needed funds to help support these families as they navigate through these difficult times.”
Neff added that the live music community has always been important to the Austin-based company, noting some of its retail stores have built-in stages for local artists to perform. Through an existing partnership with Live Nation, the brand chose Crew Nation as the charity partner and assembled the lineup of artists.
Online silent auction platform 32auctions is hosting the event; fans can also make a donation directly to Crew Nation through the auction page by clicking the Donate button.
Neff said Yeti plans to match money raised from the auction up to $50,000. The brand will promote the campaign through paid media and owned channels, as well as its social accounts and website.
The musicians and bands will also promote the auction and their custom coolers on their own social platforms. Additionally, Yeti has curated a Spotify playlist of songs by the participating artists.
