A SAUCE 54 YEARS IN THE MAKING.

When everything’s photoshopped, filtered, and fake newsed to death, a little authenticity goes a long way, so we put Stubb’s BBQ’s history front and center in-person, in print, and in digital.

A customized vintage vending machine made it easy for just about anyone to get their hands on C.B. Stubblefield’s coveted sauce.

(And we snagged ourselves a Silver National ADDY for it.)

Of course we did focus groups for our sauce. Turns out blues legends love it.

At any moment, Muddy Waters, Tom T. Hall, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Cash and other country & blues greats might show up to sing for their supper on the tiny stage at Stubb's ramshackle Lubbock restaurant. They'd jam all night just for a few beers and a plate of Stubb's bar-b-q. All you have to do to enjoy that legendary flavor is pick up a bottle.

He was selling this stuff in whiskey bottles before most sauces were a twinkle in some food technologist's eye.

Stubb was a humble cook who just wanted to share his bar-b-q with the world. So when it came to bottling his sauce, he made do with what he had on hand way back in 1968: empty liquor bottles sealed with serrano peppers. The rest was history.

The FDA says we can't put rhythm & blues on the list of ingredients. But you better believe they're in there.

Every bottle of Stubb's is crafted with real ingredients and time-honored recipes, but those aren't the only things that make this sauce special. Right from the start, C.B. Stubblefield's barbecue was shaped by music. From the tunes on his famous jukebox to the blues legends that graced the stage at his first restaurant in Lubbock, this sauce was born and perfected with a soundtrack unlike any other.

We've tested this sauce every way you can imagine. Even in the trunk of a Cadillac.

When Stubb wanted to see a famous musician play a show, he'd just load up the Cadillac with brisket, ribs and sauce. It may not sound like much, but if a trunkload of Texas pit bar-b-q can get a man backstage at sold-out concerts, maybe a bottle of his finely crafted sauce is worth a try at your dinner table.

Print executions brought Stubb to life through real archival photos and recollections from friends, family, and country & blues stars like Joe Ely & Tom T. Hall.

Those stories emerged on-screen through a variety of spots like these.

No boring banners here. Even those were created with merging the modern and nostalgic in mind.

The Heritage campaign embraced tailgating and fair season in outdoor executions, as well.

CREATIVE DIRECTION: Craig Mikes | George Ellis
ART DIRECTION: Drew Hammond | Josh McGonigle | Terri Bonnet | Matt Morris

STUBB'S HERITAGE

A SAUCE 54 YEARS IN THE MAKING.