The new owner of Brewdog has embarked on a campaign to rid itself of the controversies of the Scottish brewer’s former regime.
The Under New Ownership campaign includes 48-sheet London Underground ads that state: “Our promise isn’t to tame Brewdog, it’s to let it be Brewdog again – brewed by happy people, run properly, and still fighting the good fight for better beer”.
It has been launched by Tilray, which bought Brewdog out of administration for £33m in March, resulting in 484 job losses from the closures of 38 bars, 16 of which have since reopened.
The campaign comes just days after administrator Alix Partners said there were “insufficient funds” from the administration process to pay debts owed to creditors including West Ham United FC, Lord’s cricket ground and businesses including coffee shops, bakeries, laundry services and local councils.
More than 200,000 Equity Punk crowdfunding investors also lost money when Brewdog collapsed with debts totalling £500m.
Tilray’s new campaign for Brewdog includes large-format outdoor advertising, digital screens in high-traffic areas and a letter in copies of the free newspaper City AM.
It features ads themed around brands including Punk IPA, Wingman and Elvis Juice, the last including the strapline “a little less allegation”, a play on words on the name of an Elvis Presley song.
Tilray said the campaign “draws a confident line under the past while keeping Brewdog’s bold, irreverent personality front and centre”.
There will be “high impact promotions and activations” in supermarkets, including four-packs of Punk IPA at £3, supported by in-store media, digital screens and fixture messaging.
Convenience retailers will be able to buy cases of Punk IPA and Hazy Jane at “strong promotional pricing” in selected wholesalers in October.
Tilray’s charm offensive aims to put daylight between the company’s current operations and those under founders James Watt and Martin Dickie.
An open letter from almost 300 current and former employees in 2021 alleged that the company was built on a “cult of personality” that bred “fear” and “significant” levels of mental illness. Watt apologised and said he wanted to be “very candid about some mistakes that I have made that have detrimentally impacted our culture”.
The Watt and Dickie-led company also faced a backlash in 2024 after abandoning a commitment to pay the real living wage.
John Beasley, Brewdog’s chief marketing officer, who joined the company in August, said this week:“Brewdog has always been at its best when it brings energy, attitude and ambition to the beer category.
“Under New Ownership is more than a campaign; it is a statement that Brewdog is back with focus, investment and the creative firepower to reignite momentum.
“We are here to support our partners, excite customers and remind the market why Brewdog remains one of the UK and Europe’s greatest beer brands.”
The company’s marketing stunts have also caused regular controversy since Brewdog’s launch in 2007, including bottles of beer packaged in stuffed roadkill and the hiring of a dwarf to lobby parliament for the legalisation of two-third pint measures in pubs.
Run-ins with regulators continue, however, with the Advertising Standards Authority ruling against Brewdog only last week after complaints made in July about two Facebook posts advertising “bottomless beer”.
