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

[Magnus McGinty]

Google suggests it's a thing.

beer adverts with sexy women - Google Search

 

[dessiato]

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”.

Have a look at the Fosters U.K. 2017 Good Call campaign.

 

[teuchter]

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.

So is your view that they are sneakily trying to conjure the image of a "scantily clad young woman" in your mind, without actually showing you one, and thereby associating their product with that image to make it more attractive to you? Is that what you actually think is going on?

Rather than trying to make their product attractive to you by claiming that it's for smart people like you who don't buy into all that clichéd glamour lifestyle advertising stuff?

I mean I think it's a bit of a rubbish advert but to me it's pretty obvious that it's the latter they are trying to do.

 

[Dystopiary]

Fucking hell, they must know their customer base I suppose.

 

[Dystopiary]

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.

I honestly haven't seen an advert quite as bad as that since the 90s, certainly not on a billboard.

 

[brogdale]

Have a look at the Fosters U.K. 2017 Good Call campaign.

Oh OK; not familiar with that campaign...but if Brewdog’s position is look at us we’re better than Fosters, I’m not sure even Spy could spin that as genius marketing

 

[editor]

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.

You mean this kind of thing, right?

 

[bluescreen]

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.

Yes. It's an ancient rhetorical device called apophasis and I'm surprised teuchter has failed to recognise it.

 

[NoXion]

This conversation is boring

Feel free to fuck off at any time.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

I truly can't see how that billboard ad is sexist , classist or body shaming.

 

[teuchter]

Yes. It's an ancient rhetorical device called apophasis and I'm surprised teuchter has failed to recognise it.

No it's not.
You can't just call "apophasis" when you want to claim that something is sending a message that it is pretending not to. You need to back that kind of claim with a strong argument. Otherwise you could use it against just about anything.

 

[bluescreen]

No it's not.
You can't just call "apophasis" when you want to claim that something is sending a message that it is pretending not to. You need to back that kind of claim with a strong argument. Otherwise you could use it against just about anything.

By denying it's using that image to advertise itself BD is deliberately conjuring up that image in the viewer's mind.
If I tell you not to think of an elephant, do you never imagine one even for a moment?

 

[ElizabethofYork]

By denying it's using that image to advertise itself BD is deliberately conjuring up that image in the viewer's mind.
If I tell you not to think of an elephant, do you never imagine one even for a moment?

Wait .... are you claiming that arguing against sexist adverts will bring up sexist images in a person's mind, so we can't ever argue against sexist adverts?

 

[ElizabethofYork]

bluescreen, instead of laughing, why not expand on your point? It's very interesting.

 

[bluescreen]

Wait .... are you claiming that arguing against sexist adverts will bring up sexist images in a person's mind, so we can't ever argue against sexist adverts?

Ha, I don't think that's what BD is doing here. They are using professional admen, remember - people well familiar with the dark arts of persuasion.

And yes, often arguing against something requires one to hold it up as an example. (Some sick people actually get off on it.) This whole thread could be seen as an advert for BD.

ETA: I don't think - YMMV - that BD are actually intending for the viewer to take them at their word that they are against that sort of ad. I reckon it's a nod and a wink to the mostly male customer.

 

[teuchter]

By denying it's using that image to advertise itself BD is deliberately conjuring up that image in the viewer's mind.
If I tell you not to think of an elephant, do you never imagine one even for a moment?

You have to conjure an image of something in order to discuss it. The question is what's the intent - is it to then explicitly dissociate their product with it, or somehow positively associate with it at some kind of wierd subconscious level.

The idea that they are mentioning aspects of naff cliched drinks industry advertising, and accusing their competitors of it, but somehow simultaneously forming a subconscious positive association between aspects of that type of advertising, in the minds of the audience is ultra tenous conspiracy level nonsense if you ask me.

I don't even think the advert works very well. I can see what it's supposed to be doing though.

 

[pbsmooth]

the thing wrong with the ad appears to be the point that it's directly outside another, smaller brewery? but I also can't see how it's sexist, classist or body shaming (cos it isn't).

 

[bluescreen]

I don't even think the advert works very well. I can see what it's supposed to be doing though.

See, this is why you don't get what it's trying to do.

 

[bluescreen]

the thing wrong with the ad appears to be the point that it's directly outside another, smaller brewery? but I also can't see how it's sexist, classist or body shaming (cos it isn't).

I'm not really advocating for the advert let alone BD but can't you see that if it succeeds at all in evoking the image it pretends to deplore, the sort of image that the susceptible punter will imagine is rather the stereotypical model on a rich man's yacht?

 

[teuchter]

See, this is why you don't get what it's trying to do.

My opinion about what it's trying to do is clearly different from yours.

 

[pbsmooth]

I'm not really advocating for the advert let alone BD but can't you see that if it succeeds at all in evoking the image it pretends to deplore, the sort of image that the susceptible punter will imagine is rather the stereotypical model on a rich man's yacht?

sorry, that's ridiculous.
"this good thing is saying bad thing is bad"
"but now I am thinking about bad thing"
"oh... good thing is bad"

 

[teuchter]

I'm not really advocating for the advert let alone BD but can't you see that if it succeeds at all in evoking the image it pretends to deplore, the sort of image that the susceptible punter will imagine is rather the stereotypical model on a rich man's yacht?

The image that will be imagined is a hypothetical competitor's cheesy advertising poster with a model on a yacht.
Brewdog think the "susceptble punter" will then go "hey, I'm a smart and self aware person, too right I'm not going to fall for those companies' marketing - I'm going buy a bottle of counter-cultural Brewdog"
You think that the "susceptible punter" will then go "phwoar, look at that model in my minds eye, I suddenly feel the urge to buy a bottle of brewdog"
I think most people will actually go "give it a rest Brewdog, we know you're not really much different to other beer companies"

 

[bluescreen]

sorry, that's ridiculous.
"this good thing is saying bad thing is bad"
"but now I am thinking about bad thing"
"oh... good thing is bad"

Sorry, I'm not exactly following you. AFAIU, BD plays on its woke image. But it's selling mainly to men....

The image that will be imagined is a hypothetical competitor's cheesy advertising poster with a model on a yacht.
Brewdog think the "susceptble punter" will then go "hey, I'm a smart and self aware person, too right I'm not going to fall for those companies' marketing - I'm going buy a bottle of counter-cultural Brewdog"
You think that the "susceptible punter" will then go "phwoar, look at that model in my minds eye, I suddenly feel the urge to buy a bottle of brewdog"
I think most people will actually go "give it a rest Brewdog, we know you're not really much different to other beer companies"

I agree with your first paragraph. I think the susceptible punter will go 'phwoar' and then - 'no I'm not like that'. So they've had the thrill of the phwoar without anyone else being able to see anything but how virtuous they think they are.

 

[teuchter]

I agree with your first paragraph. I think the susceptible punter will go 'phwoar' and then - 'no I'm not like that'. So they've had the thrill of the phwoar without anyone else being able to see anything but how virtuous they think they are.

So... Brewdog are fat shaming simply because they managed to conjure the image of a thin model in a viewer's mind?

If they'd just said "While attractive models" in stead of "While exquisitely photoshopped size 0 models", would it have been ok?

 

[Spymaster]

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).

Horrified, I tell you ….. HORRIFIED!

It’s the end of the world

 

[A380]

Got to phone NHS 111. I just realised I am on the same side as teuchter in an argument...

 

[editor]

Wait .... are you claiming that arguing against sexist adverts will bring up sexist images in a person's mind, so we can't ever argue against sexist adverts?

What do you think of this sexist advert? Utterly indefensible, right?

 

[DaphneM]

What do you think of this sexist advert? Utterly indefensible, right?

View attachment 322416

i dont think thats an advert is it?

 

[ElizabethofYork]

What do you think of this sexist advert? Utterly indefensible, right?

View attachment 322416

Yes, it's horrible. Why?

 

[PR1Berske]

The kids on "Knightmare" did less side-stepping than some on this thread.