Funworld Insights: A Partnership Between a Zoo and a Brewery in Chattanooga

Cheers to Developing Relationships

The partnership between Oddstory and the Chattanooga Zoo began in 2024, when Oddstory sponsored the zoo’s annual Frights and Pints event, a 21+ beer festival. “It was the standard sponsorship deal,” says Jake Cash, the zoo’s director of marketing and communications, noting that Oddstory donated beer for the event. However, unlike some of the zoo’s past brewery partnerships, both partners saw greater opportunity.

“Oddstory is very popular in the community with a wide age appeal,” says Cash, citing the brewery’s family-friendly atmosphere. The two parties then began looking for ways to deepen the partnership.

According to Aly Butler, Oddstory’s creative director, this was the first time the brewery decided to take a partnership a step further and collaborate on a beer. “From our first meeting, it was clear we were onto something special. The conversation flowed as we brainstormed ideas and, before long, we landed on the perfect collaboration: brewing a beer together that features one of their newest additions, Boysenberry the sloth, right on the can.” While Oddstory brewed collaborative beers with a local soccer team and a two other nonprofits in the past, this is their first larger-scale partnership.

Butler says that to create a successful collaborative beer, the word “collaboration” is the most critical component. The two parties brainstormed together on details like the season of release, the target audience, and styles that would appeal to a wide array of beer drinkers. In the case of the zoo, however, they even considered the characteristics of the sloth—such as its origin, diet, and habitat. “All of these factors help shape a beer that’s not only approachable but also designed to make a meaningful community impact,” says Butler. “A portion of every package sale is donated back to the zoo, so it was important that the product resonates with our community. From beer style to the can design, every step was intentionally crafted to ensure both quality and purpose.”

Given the sloth’s name, discussions immediately gravitated toward a boysenberry beer, but the brewery had doubts about the flavor and marketability. Instead, they moved on to a two-toed sloth’s behavior—remembering that sloths are known to spend time in mango trees and eat the fruit. From there, the creation of Hang Two Mango IPA was natural. Described as a West Coast-style IPA, the beer was released in June at the brewery’s two taprooms and at the zoo. A portion of the proceeds go back to the facility.

Striking Balance Through Product Promotion

To promote the new beer, Oddstory designated the zoo their “Nonprofit of the Month” for June. A different community non-profit organization is selected each month, and customers can round up their purchases to support it.

According to Butler, supporting local nonprofits has been a core value since the brewery’s opening. “We started our Nonprofit of the Month program about three years ago as a way to organize and ensure we are spreading the love across multiple organizations that all align with our company’s values: connection, community, and nature.”

Oddstory provides the selected nonprofit the opportunity to do an activation at the brewery during the month, and on June 12, the Chattanooga Zoo hosted a special Giveback Night event. Featuring zoo ambassadors—including a bearded dragon, turtle, and other animals, 10% of the evening’s sales were donated to Chattanooga Zoo. Butler says their Giveback Nights and Round-Up Program raise an average of $1,500 a month for each nonprofit.

Meanwhile, an article on the partnership was included in the zoo’s member magazine while Oddstory was included in the zoo’s social media promotions. Being able to tap into the zoo’s social media platforms was one of the main benefits Cash cites for the brewery, as it is larger than the brewery’s social media audience—but the two share a similar target demographic.

Cash calls their partnership with Oddstory the most comprehensive in recent years, and there are plans for it to continue. The first batch of Two Toes Mango IPA quickly sold out, and another batch hit the taprooms and the zoo in September. Oddstory will also be sponsoring the Frights and Pints event again in 2025.

Cash believes that zoos can make particularly effective promotional partners. “Zoos make ourselves attractive because of a rich amount of content,” he says, citing their collection of animals. Oddstory did multiple photoshoots at the zoo that involved animals interacting with their beer cans—creating vivid and unique social media content.

When Oddstory looks for promotional partners, they’ve chosen to focus their efforts on those whose missions align most closely with their values. “By narrowing our scope, we’re able to make a deeper impact alongside organizations that reflect what we care about most.”

Cash agrees that the success of any promotional partnership depends on choosing your partner carefully. “Make sure your potential partner reaches the target audience you want to work with; look at how effective the partner already is in communicating its message, and make sure your values and mission align.”