BrewDog: yet another hip company using 'rebel' language to sell its stuff

[teuchter]

This conversation is boring. Aren't there beer tasting clubs for this kind of thing.

You guys have clearly been tricked by multiple beer marketing departments into believing that there are significant differences between their products.

 

[Funky_monks]

This conversation is boring. Aren't there beer tasting clubs for this kind of thing.

You guys have clearly been tricked by multiple beer marketing departments into believing that there are significant differences between their products.

Have you ever actually tasted beer?

 

[PR1Berske]

Cask better have a head, we don't drink them any other way up here

 

[kenny g]

This conversation is boring. Aren't there beer tasting clubs for this kind of thing.

Quite probably there. There are clubs for most kinds of things.



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[JimW]

The first rule of beer tasting club is you talk and talk and talk about beer tasting club.

 

[alex_]

The first rule of beer tasting club is you talk and talk and talk about beer tasting club.

Pretty sure it’s about arguing that no one else is drinking proper beer

 

[hitmouse]

Ah, ok. Never been a huge fan of foamy head. Not in my beer anyway. It’s bubbles where beer should be.

The main trouble with ESB is that one pint can put you a bit too close to the drink driving limit and it’s hard to stop at one.

I think the answer to that one is that you need to become a cyclist?

 

[dessiato]

I've just had some wonderful Duero wine. Wonderful nose, rhubarb crumble and custard. €14 for 6 glasses, and tapas. I will miss this in the UK, but I'll get my Brewdog discount in Edinburgh.

 

[PR1Berske]

 

[equationgirl]

I have started a new job recently and have discovered that where I work may have leased premises to Brewdog. I am horrified and will be making a complaint once I've figured out who the fuck to complain to (which may take some time).

 

[teuchter]

Can you explain why the advert is "sexist, classist and body shaming"? Because it seems like someone's maybe missed the point a bit.

 

[brogdale]

Can you explain why the advert is "sexist, classist and body shaming"? Because it seems like someone's maybe missed the point a bit.

What "point" do you think was missed?

 

[teuchter]

What "point" do you think was missed?

As far as I can see, the billboard is making fun of the kind of cliched beer advertising that such accusations could be levelled at.

 

[brogdale]

As far as I can see, the billboard is making fun of the kind of cliched beer advertising that such accusations could be levelled at.

I can honestly say that AFAIK I've never drunk a beer that advertised like that.

 

[billy_bob]

I can't think of a beer I've ever seen advertised like that. Still, could've been worse: I expected the defence to be that all those -isms at once demonstrated admirable efficiency.

 

[equationgirl]

I can't think of a beer I've ever seen advertised like that. Still, could've been worse: I expected the defence to be that all those -isms at once demonstrated admirable efficiency.

It's tongue in cheek or just a witticism, I expect...

 

[billy_bob]

It's tongue in cheek or just a witticism, I expect...

What, the billboard or teuchter 's defence of it?

(I know you probably mean the former, I just thought you'd have come down harder on it, because you've been consistently critical of Brewdog)

 

[teuchter]

Can you explain why the advert is "sexist, classist and body shaming"?

So can anyone explain to me what the twitter person meant by this, or not?

 

[billy_bob]

So can anyone explain to me what the twitter person meant by this, or not?

Yes. Do you really need an explanation or are you just trying to waste people's time?

 

[teuchter]

Yes. Do you really need an explanation or are you just trying to waste people's time?

Yes, I need an explanation.

 

[billy_bob]

OK, this is by no means comprehensive or the final say but just off the top of me head:

Sexist: assuming the male gaze, only men drink beer, women's role in relation to alcohol is for drunk men to have something to look at
Classist: assuming audience for ad is poor, and that the poor inevitably aspire to the naffest cliched trappings of the rich
Body shaming: knee-jerk association of size zero with desirability

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Loads of advertising relies on sex/sexism. Not really a controversial point that it happens. That they are NOT doing that and having a jibe at it apparently makes them sexist.
The mind truly boggles.

 

[billy_bob]

I reckon they're also pretty well aware that their main drinkership is people who have already tried Brewdog, who know that previous PR attempts have sold Brewdog's beers as very much more aspirational in keeping with the chicks-on-speedboats image. Yes, I know they nominally call themselves punks but remember that risible image (further back in the thread) of Watt and the other guy lounging in Robert Palmer get-up with scantily clad rock chicks draped on them - pure 80s style aspirationalism. So what they're doing is also classist in the sense that they know they're not really talking to poor people who just want cheap lager - they're talking to people who want to try - but not too hard - to appear to have the realness and credibility of poor people while at the same time being total pseuds.

 

[teuchter]

OK, this is by no means comprehensive or the final say but just off the top of me head:

Sexist: assuming the male gaze, only men drink beer, women's role in relation to alcohol is for drunk men to have something to look at
Classist: assuming audience for ad is poor, and that the poor inevitably aspire to the naffest cliched trappings of the rich
Body shaming: knee-jerk association of size zero with desirability

I was going to say this was tenuous nonsense, but I think it's pretty much straight up nonsense.

 

[billy_bob]

Loads of advertising relies on sex/sexism. Not really a controversial point that it happens. That they are NOT doing that and having a jibe at it apparently makes them sexist.
The mind truly boggles.

It bears repeating - yet again - that no-one's suggesting Brewdog is unique in this and that's why they're bad: it's the extent to which it's at odds with their wish to present themselves as full of punk attitude that riles people. A major facet of punk was the extent to which it aimed to be less obviously sexist than the music industry had hitherto been. (And yes, I know it failed at that again and again but nevertheless, women in the punk movement noted this fact too.)

 

[billy_bob]

I was going to say this was tenuous nonsense, but I think it's pretty much straight up nonsense.

And that releases you from any obligation to form an argument as to why it's nonsense? Convenient.

 

[teuchter]

And that releases you from any obligation to form an argument as to why it's nonsense? Convenient.

It doesn't really seem worth it, but maybe tomorrow.
Basically I wanted to know if there was something about the advert that I just wasn't getting/seeing. I don't think there is, but I'll see if anyone else comes up with anything.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

It bears repeating - yet again - that no-one's suggesting Brewdog is unique in this and that's why they're bad: it's the extent to which it's at odds with their wish to present themselves as full of punk attitude that riles people. A major facet of punk was the extent to which it aimed to be less obviously sexist than the music industry had hitherto been. (And yes, I know it failed at that again and again but nevertheless, women in the punk movement noted this fact too.)

I'm searching their advertising history. Pink IPA seems inadvisable but doesn't contain scantily clad young women in the promos which is what they're having a jibe at.

 

[brogdale]

I must be very unobservant because I’m really scratching my head here trying to recall beer being advertised in the recent past using images of “scantily clad young women”.

 

[billy_bob]

I must be very unobservant because I’m really scratching my head here trying to recall beer being advertised in the recent past using images of “scantily clad young women”.

It hasn't. This is a straw scantily clad young woman that Brewdog has set up so that you can picture her while they pretend to distance themselves from people who sell things using images like that.