BrewDog advert banned over ‘cure for boredom’ – Daily Business

BrewDog has again found itself in trouble with the advertising watchdog which has banned a poster promoting its Wingman beer for implying alcohol is a remedy for “boredom, loneliness or other problems”.  

The outdoor advert included the tagline: ‘BrewDog. Always got your back’ and referenced problems like WiFi failure, bad weather and a friend being late.

The ASA banned the advert from today after deciding it was in breach of the CAP Code on marketing communications around alcohol.

The ASA’s guidelines clearly state that adverts for alcoholic products cannot suggest that alcohol can alleviate negative emotions like suffering and isolation or be used as a coping mechanism for potential customers.

Aberdeenshire-based Brewdog refuted the watchdog’s claim that the poster suggested the ale offered solace or an escape from any form of distress.

The company argued that the depicted scenarios were “were clearly framed as mundane, everyday annoyances and not substantive problems requiring resolution”.

The craft beer producer also disputed the accusation that they “provided comfort, relief or escape from any form of distress”, asserting instead that the advert “positioned the product as being of reliable quality, not as a remedy or coping mechanism”.

However, the ASA said: “The implication was that Wingman was a solution to overcoming those problems that were likely to result in boredom, frustration and potentially loneliness.”

The ruling is the latest in a series of clashes with the advertising regulator. It was criticised for failing to support claims of being the “world’s first carbon-negative brewery” and in 2019 a poster advertising BrewDog’s non-alcoholic beer was banned following complaints from angry parents.

The promotion for the company’s alcohol-free IPA featured the phrase “Sober as a Motherfu” and drew criticism when it was posted outside a primary school.

In 2021 the ASA challenged the nutrition claims in an advert for BrewDog’s Clean & Press seltzer.

One of the company’s adverts was banned last year for describing a limited edition guava-flavoured beer as counting towards “one of your five-a-day”.

In response to this latest reprimand, a Brewdog spokesperson stated: “We acknowledge the ASA’s ruling on our recent Wingman advert and we are disappointed with the outcome, which we believe does not reflect the spirit or intent behind the campaign. That said, we won’t be running the ad again.”