SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three words now come to mind whenever the Kings come to mind, "LIGHT THE BEAM." The Kings beam is the purple light that blasts up from Golden 1 Center every time the Kings win a game.
While the community sees it as a beacon, local business are looking at it as a dollar sign. Chances are you’ve seen the beam in the Sacramento skies, but what about on beer cans and t-shirts?
Just a short walk from Golden 1 Center, where the beam shines, is Identity Boutique. Co-owner Shane Twilla has turned everything from the beam into profit.
“We had some very clever local vendors start making these shirts, and we are a local business, and we have a platform, so we want to highlight other local vendors,” said Twilla.
Within a week of the beam appearing, they started selling shirts. The store also said they saw an immediate increase in foot traffic since the kings started winning and lighting up the beam.
“We’ve had Kings-inspired gear in the past. Colors and themes, jewelry inspired by the Kings... It’s been years. We have been patiently waiting for them do so well, and since they are, these shirts are flying,” said Twilla.
They're not the only ones getting into the spirt of things. Moksa Brewing Co. released Light the Beam Beer. The brewer and owner Cory Meyer said the first release sold out in hours.
The second batch sold out the same day, about 130 cases of cans.
“We are just building on the excitement of a great season. It’s a way for people to kind of buy into that and get pumped about it,” said Meyer.
A winning basketball season for the Kings and the beam can also lead to exclusivity or limited-time releases, making products more in demand.
“We’ll probably keep it to basketball season. I think it’s kind of a topical thing, and we will bring it back next year,” said Meyer.
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