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

[ViolentPanda]

Any product which tries to be your 'pal' through the language on the packaging and general branding can fuck off. I don't want a new friend, I just want a beer ffs.

TBF, a lot of brewers do the same thing with labelling, they just do it more subtly, by talking about the exclusivity of their ingredients - make you feel like you too are exclusive, at least that's their plan.

 

[editor]

So godamn edgy.

 

[fredfelt]

Maybe because that beer was created with the full involvement of Iron Maiden, whereas Brewdog just steals punk attitudes and values in the name of fat profits for themselves with a bit of sexist advertising thrown in. How about that?

Yup. That just about covers it.

 

[fredfelt]

TBF, a lot of brewers do the same thing with labelling, they just do it more subtly, by talking about the exclusivity of their ingredients - make you feel like you too are exclusive, at least that's their plan.

There's a difference there though. By all means lure me in with positive associations and try to make me feel exclusive for buying the product but the line is crossed when they attempt to give the product itself emotions.

 

[killer b]

I dont mind the brewdog branding fwiw - most ale is marketed in such a dull manner that its refreshing to see something a bit different for once. Not seen the sexist adverts though.

'stealing punk attitude' lol. And whatever Bruce says, I'm fairly sure maiden's involvement with the brewing process on that trooper beer was totally peripheral.

 

[editor]

I dont mind the brewdog branding fwiw - most ale is marketed in such a dull manner that its refreshing to see something a bit different for once. Not seen the sexist adverts though.

How about the sexist adverts? You like them?

 

[butchersapron]

Beer for jitters who think they're punks

 

[killer b]

How about the sexist adverts? You like them?

probably not. As I said in the post you quoted, I haven't seen them. ill have a look when I get home and give you my considered opinion then.

 

[Idaho]

It's ok beer. Not as nice as that American ipa in the brown bottles with the green labels.

 

[TruXta]

It's ok beer. Not as nice as that American ipa in the brown bottles with the green labels.

Sierra Nevada?

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

I don't want a new friend, I just want a beer.

...said fred, sitting alone as he wept silently into the tankard he held so tight.

 

[Louis MacNeice]

If you ever see either of these treat yourself.

Cheers and bottoms up - Louis MacNeice

 

[ViolentPanda]

There's a difference there though. By all means lure me in with positive associations and try to make me feel exclusive for buying the product but the line is crossed when they attempt to give the product itself emotions.

So you favour the head-patting, chin-stroking school of advertising over the "in your face" school? Fair enough!
Me, I tend to just try the beer. Something I learned in Germany a long time ago, because all the ads were the same, and tbf all the bottled beers looked exactly the same! Led to my first exposure to Dortmunder Union that did!

 

[editor]

probably not. As I said in the post you quoted, I haven't seen them. ill have a look when I get home and give you my considered opinion then.

This might help you make up your mind:

Punk brewery just as sexist and homophobic as the industry they rail against
The independent Scottish brewery Brewdog invited Snipe along with a few dozen other London food writers to a tasting and a creepy rant last night.

The location was the new Brewdog Camden pub, where founders James Watt and Martin Dickie planned to treat the assembled with a tasting of their beers and entertain us with the story of their four-year existence. That’s when it got creepy.

Watt encouraged us to talk to our beer, yes, out loud, to encourage it to ‘open up.’ He then gestured to one of the female servers and said that this is what he would do if he wanted her to ‘open up.’ Weird – but easily brushed away as a poor choice of words. He’s speaking off the cuff, with a beer in his hand, and presumably meant that he wanted the server to feel comfortable and share her thoughts.

Then Watt told us of he and Dickie’s experience at some young entrepreneur’s award interview. This ‘feminist,’ he complained, was upset at the portrayal of women in their marketing material, including the fetishisation of lesbians. Watt did not use the word fetishisation.

A feminist quizzed us on the appropriateness of calling a beer ‘Trashy Blonde’ and using the word ‘lesbian’ in some of our promotional material. To which Martin responded;​

‘I have nothing against lesbians at all, in fact I have some DVDs at home of just lesbians’. It went down like a lead balloon and we did not win this award.​

​

I don’t recall if that’s the exact quote or not – but close enough, it’s a cut and paste from the Brewdog blog.

Here’s the kind of marketing material that dirty feminist was speaking of:

“A titillating, neurotic, peroxide, punk of a pale ale. Combining attitude, style, substance and a little bit of low self esteem for good measure; what would your mother say?​

​

You really should just leave it alone…​

​

…but you just can’t get the compulsive malt body and gorgeous dirty blonde colour out of your head. The seductive lure of the sassy passion fruit hop proves too much to resist. All that is even before we get onto the fact that there are no additives preservatives, pasteurization or strings attached.​

​

All wrapped up with the customary BrewDog bite and imaginative twist. This trashy blonde is going to get you into a lot of trouble.”​

​

Investing in attitude. Will BrewDog’s brand attract new money?
What bothered me is that if someone is referred to as a blonde, said individual will invariably be a woman. Men aren’t usually spoken or written about in terms of their hair colour and whenever I’ve heard a ‘blonde joke’ it’s usually been about a woman. So to call the beer Trashy Blonde struck me as the sort of unpleasant gender stereotyping that makes me want to throw my beer in the author’s face.

Add to this the “titillating, neurotic … and a little bit of low self esteem for good measure,” and I had a nasty taste in my mouth that would take more than a few good beers to wash away. I’ll not launch into a full feminist critique here but suffice to say that even in the 21stcentury women are subjected to – and the subject of – far too much derogatory, degrading and violent treatment, behaviour and attitudes and anything that contributes to that ought to be considered unacceptable.

 

[editor]

This seems appropriate:

 

[ViolentPanda]

If you ever see either of these treat yourself.

Cheers and bottoms up - Louis MacNeice

A few years ago I started trying the odd "recommended" from the "Beers of Europe" website, which is (if you don't mind buying 6-8 bottles at a time) a good way to try some of the harder-to-get US and European beers, even some of the decent Aussie ones.

 

[fredfelt]

So you favour the head-patting, chin-stroking school of advertising over the "in your face" school? Fair enough!
Me, I tend to just try the beer. Something I learned in Germany a long time ago, because all the ads were the same, and tbf all the bottled beers looked exactly the same! Led to my first exposure to Dortmunder Union that did!

I'm remarkably fickle when it comes to my choice of beer. You don't typically get ads for ale so I go from the picture of the tap. I like, in no particular order, pictures of bridges, trains, aeroplanes, any seasonal associated beer, beer with slightly rude names or good puns. I'm almost ashamed to admit that there's a cider I buy because it has glamours looking flirty woman on the pump.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Why oh why would anyone who lives in the UK buy ale specially imported from the US?

 

[killer b]

Why oh why would anyone who lives in the UK buy ale specially imported from the US?

because some american beer is delicious? why else? what an odd question.

 

[phildwyer]

because some american beer is delicious? why else? what an odd question.

The best beer ın the world ıs Amerıcan. And the worst.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

I am a cheapskate beer-heathen for generally going straight for the Carlsberg Export? 8 bottles for about 6 quid and tastes quite nice, in my opinion.

 

[killer b]

The best beer ın the world ıs Amerıcan. And the worst.

quite. dunno if it's the best, but some of the ales coming out of the USA atm are spectacular.

 

[Stig]

I'm remarkably fickle when it comes to my choice of beer. You don't typically get ads for ale so I go from the picture of the tap. I like, in no particular order, pictures of bridges, trains, aeroplanes, any seasonal associated beer, beer with slightly rude names or good puns. I'm almost ashamed to admit that there's a cider I buy because it has glamours looking flirty woman on the pump.

Then Pumpclip Parade is for you!

 

[Stigmata]

Even if American ale was the best in all Christendom you'd still be better off drinking something locally produced to where you are, because cask ale suffers from travelling. With IPA it's less of an issue and with lager it doesn't matter, of course.

 

[krink]

i like punk and i like this. it doesn't cos 4 quid a half either

 

[killer b]

I'm remarkably fickle when it comes to my choice of beer. You don't typically get ads for ale so I go from the picture of the tap. I like, in no particular order, pictures of bridges, trains, aeroplanes, any seasonal associated beer, beer with slightly rude names or good puns. I'm almost ashamed to admit that there's a cider I buy because it has glamours looking flirty woman on the pump.

i think the pump clip is so important, and so many breweries just fuck it right up (and a lot hardly bother at all) - if you're in a real ale pub or at a beer festival, faced with 15 beers you've not heard of, how else are you going to choose?

while i don't much like brewdog as a company (and their bars are fucking rank), this is something they've done right.

 

[killer b]

Even if American ale was the best in all Christendom you'd still be better off drinking something locally produced to where you are, because cask ale suffers from travelling. With IPA it's less of an issue and with lager it doesn't matter, of course.

my understanding is they don't really do cask beer in the USA - even the small breweries do kegs - certainly all the american beer (out of barrels) i've ever drunk have been keg. it also tends to be strong too, although that may just be the stuff that makes it over here...

 

[Firky]

quite. dunno if it's the best, but some of the ales coming out of the USA atm are spectacular.

Canada has some brilliant microbreweries doing good beer and ciders. This is one of the best microbreweries I've been to, went three times I was that impressed.

http://www.cannerybrewing.com/

 

[brogdale]

...and for the teetotaler...

 

[ViolentPanda]

Why oh why would anyone who lives in the UK buy ale specially imported from the US?

Because some of it is damned tasty, as long as you steer clear of stuff made by Anhauser/Busch or Coors/Molson.