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A BrewDog advertisement has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for suggesting that alcohol could help overcome boredom, loneliness or disappointment. The poster for the brewing firm's Wingman beer was seen in May and featured messaging that regulators deemed problematic.
The ad carried the headline "Brewdog. Always Got Your Back" and described scenarios where "WiFi fails, the weather turns hostile, and your buddy's 'five minutes' turns into a full-scale delay". It positioned Wingman beer as something that "stands firm" and is "always mission-ready" during such situations.
ASA receives complaint
The Advertising Standards Authority received one complaint arguing that the advertisement implied alcohol was a remedy for disappointment, suffering and isolation. The watchdog investigated the claims and ultimately agreed with the complainant's concerns.
BrewDog defended the advertisement, arguing it did not suggest the beer provided comfort or escape from distress. The company said it positioned the product as being of reliable quality rather than a remedy or coping mechanism, and denied claiming any therapeutic or mood-altering effects.
Everyday scenarios deemed problematic
The ASA acknowledged the advertisement's air force theme, including references to being "always on station" and imagery of a bird wearing flying gear. However, regulators found the scenarios presented - wifi outages, bad weather and friends running late - were likely to cause frustration and boredom.
The watchdog said these everyday annoyances would likely result in people "feeling frustrated and bored, potentially lonely" and would be viewed as problematic. Despite BrewDog's use of metaphorical language about reliability and camaraderie, the ASA concluded the scenarios were real-life problems with negative impacts.
Ruling and company response
"We considered the ad implied that drinking alcohol could overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems and concluded it breached the code," the ASA stated. The authority ruled the advertisement must not appear again and warned BrewDog about future campaigns.
A BrewDog spokesman said the company acknowledged the ruling but was "disappointed with the outcome, which we believe does not reflect the spirit or intent behind the campaign". The brewery confirmed it would not run the advertisement again following the ASA's decision.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
