On April 1, the Salt Lake Bees became the Utah Dirty Sodas — and no, it’s not a joke. It’s a strategy.
In Minor League Baseball, the Fresno Grizzlies double as the Fresno Tacos. The Springfield Cardinals double as the Springfield Cashew Chickens. Paying homage to Oregon Coast history, the Eugene Emeralds double as the Exploding Whale. And now, the Salt Lake Bees will personify Utah’s carbonation culture every Wednesday home game throughout the season.
Larry H. Miller Sports + Entertainment announced in February 2026 that the team’s new alternate identity will be connected to Swig. This internal collaboration pushed the boundaries of what MiLB allows for alternate identities, but after an 18-month approval process, Miller Sports + Entertainment got the green light.
Over the last few years, the Salt Lake Bees’ team has been taking notes, watching other minor league alternate identities become highly effective at promoting the team as a whole. The Dirty Sodas is one of 32 alternate identities approved by MiLB official staff in 2026.
“Utah loves sport,” says Ashley Havili, VP of brand marketing and merchandising for Miller Sports + Entertainment, “and this is just one more addition to the landscape of sport that you get to have fun with, creating a new memory. There’s so much energy behind dirty sodas right now, and there’s so much energy behind baseball, that bringing the two of them together in Utah is just a perfect moment.”
While the Swig logo will not be sported on the alternate identity uniforms, spotlighting “dirty soda” is a win-win for The Larry H. Miller Company, given that the business acquired a majority stake in Swig in November 2022.
Dirty soda is having a moment
The team name didn’t click immediately, Havili says. They went through five or six concepts and brand systems, considering what is both catchy and “so Utah.” It didn’t take long, though, to realize a team name memorializing the soda craze was going to be sticky with Utah’s audience.
Dirty soda has consistently gained popularity since the phrase was coined, but pop culture stoked the fire. The stars of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives made dirty soda viral, and in turn, people like WNBA athlete Caitlin Clark documented their first Swig. The entire country now relates Utah with Diet Coke mixed with fresh lime, coconut syrup and cream.
“We felt like we really capitalized on this pop culture moment,” Havili says. “We’re really proud that it all came together when it did, because we’re at this culminating time. … Dirty soda has launched itself in the last 18 months, which we could have never [planned for].”
It also helps that the Swig brand is growing nationally, too. The company has 162 locations as of March 2026, as far east as North Carolina and Florida, and is continuing to grow. A New York Post article reported dirty soda may take over matcha and mocktails as the trend grows.
“When we showed employees, they were really excited about the brand. It affirmed that this was the right call and the timing was perfect with the growth of Swig and this intersection of sport and pop culture,” says Jenny Teemsma, senior director of communications at Miller Sports + Entertainment.
More than a sponsorship
The Salt Lake Bees are unique in that their parent company, The Larry H. Miller Company, has internal brands to collaborate with. That’s not standard for MiLB teams, and there wasn’t a clear playbook on how to approach this type of partnership in a way that would be accepted.
It wasn’t a guarantee that the Dirty Sodas’ alternate identity would pass the test, says Ty Wardle, CRO and EVP at Miller Sports + Entertainment and president of the Salt Lake Bees.
Swig’s influence on the Salt Lake Bees’ alternate identity doesn’t look or feel like a traditional sponsorship, Wardle says. The Swig logo never appears on uniforms or core branding, allowing the Dirty Sodas brand to stand on its own while still clearly evoking the product and culture behind it.
Instead, the connection shows up in more consumer-facing ways. Swig locations are distributing Dirty Sodas tumblers that include ticket vouchers, effectively turning everyday customers into potential game attendees. Co-branded merchandise is also available through Swig’s website, marking the first time the company has partnered this deeply on a product tied to an external experience.
The result is a flywheel effect: The Bees drive awareness while Swig drives foot traffic and ticket conversion without diluting either brand.
It also doesn’t hurt that Swig will bring an entirely different demographic to baseball games. Wardle says 75-80% of Swig’s customer base is women, and many of them make the decisions about family outings.
A brand built for takeover
Creating the visual brand for a team brand follows the same steps as creating a company brand. The Millers Sports + Entertainment team worked through high-level strategy and then settled on colors, fonts and the character that would represent the alternate identity.
Naturally, “Swiggy” emerged, but this character doesn’t seem as sweet as the cultural nectar he represents. His menacing grin, clenched fists, and the bat slung over his shoulder make him look like someone who plays “dirty.”
“He’s a little gritty, you know; he’s got some good personality,” Havili says. “He’s cheeky, he’s funny. This was never meant to be serious, and we never take ourselves too seriously.”
“It’s bigger than just baseball. It’s an experience on a summer night at the ballpark. You’ve seen the Savannah Bananas capture that nationwide. When you leave that game, do you know who won? It’s irrelevant because it’s just so much fun. … Winning helps, but it’s cool to just be there and enjoy it.”
— Ty Wardle
Swiggy and the Utah Dirty Sodas brand showcase all of the familiar dirty soda colors. The creative team opted for more cream vs. white, brown vs. black, and a vibrant red to tie back to Swig.
“We wanted bright colors because that represents the bold flavor you taste in dirty sodas,” Havili says.
On gameday, you won’t see Salt Lake Bees branding anywhere it can reasonably be replaced. Everything from the Bees app, website and social media accounts, to the announcers’ script, video board, and LEDs, will be transformed. This company-wide orchestration will take place every Wednesday throughout the season.
Fun builds fandom
The alternate identity promotion strategy is all about having a good time. The Salt Lake Bees have always done themed nights, but the Utah Dirty Sodas will take the baseball game experience to a new level.
For the Dirty Sodas, fun looks like a number of opportunities to stay well hydrated.
Game attendees can expect a 35-foot Swig cup in the outfield, Wardle says. If someone hits it, everyone at the ballpark wins a free drink. Also, if the team scores four runs or more in one game, all of the Wasatch Front Swig locations will serve free drinks the next day. During the game, drinks will be discounted to $3.
“Minor League Baseball has to be creative to get people out,” Wardle says. “We want to get people to games that have no business wanting to watch baseball, but the experience … is fun and enjoyable.”
Swig has pulled out some of its usual stops to create buzz. The company doesn’t usually partner on tumblers, but for the Utah Dirty Sodas, it did.
Swig-lovers know about the company’s highly coveted gold tumblers. Those who win a gold tumbler get free Swig for a year. To launch the Dirty Sodas, Swig announced the “most exclusive Swig gift card,” in the form of a golden bat that offers the same perks as a golden tumber. Yes, the five winners have to bring their bats to Swig every time they want to redeem free drinks, Wardle says.
Havili says this partnered contest grew their social following by thousands.
Additionally, Bumble, the Bees’ mascot, has gotten in on the action, Havili says. He has been spotted on social media mixing drinks and guessing their flavors, bringing a lot of fun energy to all the brands.
“It’s bigger than just baseball,” Wardle says. “It’s an experience on a summer night at the ballpark. You’ve seen the Savannah Bananas capture that nationwide. When you leave that game, do you know who won? It’s irrelevant because it’s just so much fun. … Winning helps, but it’s cool to just be there and enjoy it.”
