Habs: The Lighter Side
Arber Xhekaj’s Hands Were Too Big For Burger Promotion
In a situation that definitely falls within the lighter side of Montreal Canadiens content, it was recently revealed that defenceman Arber Xhekaj, known for his bear-like paws, was not perfectly suited for a promotion related to a custom-made burger with local restaurant chain La Chambre.
The restaurant created a burger which takes from Xhekaj’s well-deserved nickname, the Sheriff. To promote the new item on the menu, Xhekaj was invited to take part in a marketing campaign, which included a picture of him holding the new creation. However, La Chambre was forced to edit the picture to avoid any claims that they offer unreasonably small portions due to his hand size.
Un responsable de la stratégie marketing de la brasserie sportive La Chambre : «on n’a pas eu le choix de photoshopper les mains de Xhekaj, elles sont tellement grosses que nos hamburgers avaient l’air minuscules quand il les tenait…!»
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) August 22, 2024
Translation of the tweet by Nicolas Cloutier embedded above: From a member of the marketing team of the sports brewery La Chambre: “We had no other choice but to photoshop Xhekaj’s hands. They’re so big that our hamburgers looked tiny when he held them…!”
While there’s no doubt associating with one of the most popular athletes in the province would have led to an uptick in sales, it’s hard to argue against the logic used by the marketing team. No matter how big they planned to make their burgers, Xhekaj’s massive hands would have dwarfed the new product.
It’s reminiscent of the famous picture of Andre the Giant holding a can of Molson Canadian beer. It’s one of the most iconic pictures of André René Roussimoff’s career, but it also made the full-sized can look like one of those miniature beers that used to be served on airplanes. Such is life when you’re dealing with larger than life athletes.