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A poster for BrewDog has been banned for implying that alcohol could overcome boredom, loneliness or disappointment.
The ad for the brewing firm’s Wingman beer, seen in May, featured the headline: “Brewdog. Always Got Your Back”, and continued underneath: “Some things in life go AWOL – WiFi fails, the weather turns hostile, and your buddy’s ‘five minutes’ turns into a full-scale delay. But Wingman? Wingman stands firm. Always on station, always mission-ready, always got your back. Because every great operation deserves a great Wingman.”
The Advertising Standards Authority received one complaint arguing that the advertisement implied alcohol was a remedy for disappointment, suffering and isolation.
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 that the ad claimed any therapeutic or mood-altering effects.
The ASA acknowledged the advertisement's air force theme, including references to being "always on station" and imagery of a bird wearing flying gear.
The watchdog noted BrewDog’s comments that the ad positioned Wingman Session IPA as being of reliable quality, and acknowledged that the scenarios presented in the ad – wifi outages, unexpected bad weather and a friend running late – were mundane and everyday annoyances.
It said: “However, we considered that those scenarios, which would likely result in a person having to wait for an outcome outside of their control and having their day interrupted in a negative way, were likely to result in people feeling frustrated and bored, potentially lonely and would be likely to be viewed as problematic.
“We considered that although the ad used metaphorical language to evoke Wingman’s reliability, consistency and a sense of camaraderie, the scenarios presented were real-life problems that were likely to impact people in a negative way and the implication was that Wingman was a solution to overcoming those problems that were likely to result in boredom, frustration and potentially loneliness."
The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again, saying: “We told BrewDog to ensure their future ads did not imply that drinking alcohol could overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems.”
A spokesman for BrewDog said: “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.”
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
