Melbourne did a double-take ahead of Grand Final weekend when after Snoop Dogg’s official doppelganger Eric Finch was spotted cruising around town in a custom-painted lowrider.

Along the way, the Snoop decoy dropped in for a drink at some of the city’s buzzing pubs and bars before turning heads on a pre-game bottle run at BWS where he stocked up on 19 Crimes Cali by Snoop.

After much speculation and multiple “Snoop sightings”, the mysterious double was finally revealed at Richmond’s iconic Corner Hotel, with Finch stepping out as the ultimate lookalike. Mingling with fans, posing for photos, and bringing a dose of California’s West Coast energy to Melbourne, Finch helped to kick off and celebrate the culmination of the footy season.

Leading up to the real Snoop’s highly anticipated pre-game performance at Saturday’s big dance, Finch continued cruising Melbourne streets, giving fans the chance to spot him and join in the fun.

Certified as Snoop Dogg’s official look-alike, Eric Finch’s uncanny resemblance to the rapper has seen him appear in TV shows, commercials, music videos and live events, simultaneously leaving crowds convinced they’re meeting the artist himself and carving out his own place in pop culture as the second coming of hip-hop royalty.

The campaign was brought to life by Bolster, Treasury Wine Estates and in-house agency Splash.

Those who got a snap with “Snoop” went in the running to win tickets to the real Snoop’s post Grand Final ‘Encore’ DJ Performance at Miss Collins, hosted by 19 Crimes X Cali by Snoop.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to connect with culture and make 19 Crimes X Cali by Snoop top of mind for Grand Final party refreshments” said Laura Pennycuick, Marketing Manager, ANZ.

“We only had access to the ‘real’ Snoop for an hour, so we did the next best thing! This has been a bit of a miraculous campaign and it only happened because Treasury Wine Estates were brave enough to roll the fluffy dice,” said Bolster’s GM of Marketing Solutions Darren Levin.

The stunt ran in conjunction with OOH activity featuring Snoop encouraging all to toast to the biggest day on the footy calendar. And like the stunt, the OOH was predominantly seen throughout Melbourne’s footy crazed suburb of Richmond. 

“This was a campaign designed to hit many touchpoints over Grand Final weekend. Bolster were amazing partners in helping to maximise the moment Snoop was in town”, said Phil van Bruchem, Creative Director at Splash.

After the Grand Final, the real Snoop took to the stage at Miss Collins playing an intimate ‘Encore’ performance hosted by 19 Crimes X Cali by Snoop for a VIP guest list. Media, influencers, and footy stars were spotted in the crowd, and so too was the other star of the weekend, Snoop’s doppelganger.