Netflix’s The Hawk is adding brand partnerships before it reaches viewers on July 16, with Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Genesis rolling out campaigns tied to the comedy series. The move folds the show’s launch into retail, merchandise and branded spots built around Will Ferrell’s first season as Lonnie Hawkins.
That matters now because the promotion is no longer just a trailer and a release date. Castmembers Luke Wilson and Jimmy Tatro are part of the effort, and the campaigns are built to travel beyond the screen: Mike’s Hard Lemonade products will be sold in retail stores, while its partnership also includes a merchandise sweepstakes. For a series headed to Netflix later this month, the timing turns the debut itself into part of the marketing.
The show centers on Lonnie, a formerly successful golfer who refuses to stop believing in his comeback, and the partnerships were shaped to match that world. In the Mike’s Hard Lemonade campaign, Wilson’s Golden Fisk appears as a sponsor within the series, while Genesis uses Tatro’s Lance Hawkins, Lonnie’s son, to show a different kind of escape — stress on the green, then calm inside the Genesis GV80.
Magno Herran framed the pairing as a chance for both brands to try something they would not normally do, saying Genesis leaned into comedy and Mike’s Hard Lemonade made a bold step into golf. But he also drew the line that gives the whole move its edge: a title like The Hawk is not right for every brand, even if it fit these two because of their business and brand objectives. Entertainment tie-ins can widen a launch, but they also only work when the brand is willing to leave its usual lane.
The timing also follows a separate SKIMS campaign last month that featured Ferrell as Lonnie in eye-catching modeling poses, signaling that Netflix and its partners are treating the character as more than a one-show gimmick. What comes next is straightforward: The Hawk debuts on July 16, and the test is whether the brands attached to it can turn that date into staying power after the premiere window closes.
