A 14-Game Losing Streak Becomes a Cider Brand's Rescue Story

Angry Orchard has turned a New York City recreational softball team's 14-game losing streak into the centerpiece of its summer campaign. The hard cider brand, promoting the tagline "Don't Get Angry, Get Orchard," searched for one of the least successful recreational softball teams in the country and settled on the Sons of Pitches.

The team received an unexpected roster addition: former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman Nick Swisher, who won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009. Angry Orchard billed Swisher as a "Super Sub," and he suited up for an actual game with the team.

John Dorman, senior director of marketing at Angry Orchard, said the brand wanted to highlight "finding the fun in life's frustrating moments" rather than getting angry. Campaign videos now run on the brand's Facebook, Instagram and X accounts, with a voiceover urging viewers: "The next time life gives you a losing season, don't get angry, get Orchard."

Why Angry Orchard Built a Campaign Around a Losing Team

Why Angry Orchard chose a losing team

The campaign treats frustration as the entry point. By selecting the Sons of Pitches, a New York City recreational team on a 14-game losing streak, the brand dramatizes its "Don't Get Angry, Get Orchard" tagline literally: the team's bad luck is the problem, and the cider brand provides the relief. That makes the product promise visible without making a conventional taste or refreshment claim.

Where Nick Swisher fits

Swisher is a credible but approachable sports figure: a former MLB outfielder and first baseman who won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009. He is not a current All-Star, which makes the "Super Sub" idea feel playful rather than an expensive celebrity endorsement. His appearance gives the video a clear visual transformation, from a lineup that "couldn't catch a break… or a ball" to a team sharing a moment of victory.

What the campaign is really designed to do

The videos are built for social distribution across Facebook, Instagram and X, with a voiceover that repeats the tagline at the end. The business logic is summer brand reinforcement and shareable content, not immediate sales. No purchase data, sales lift or media spend is disclosed, so the commercial impact remains unproven.