Great motherf*cking PR by BrewDog in response to ASA ‘pen pushers in Burton suits’
By Jonathan Kerr on Thursday, July 25, 2013
Aberdeen-based craft-beer brewer Brewdog has made headlines following revelations it was instructed by the ASA to take down a webpage that, among other sweary epitaphs, described itself as “a post-punk apocalyptic mother fu*ker of a craft brewery”. The ASA ruled that the asterisk was not sufficient to mask the word “fucker” (no shit, Sherlock) and that the website should not appear in this form again.
Brewdog’s brand is about sweary, punkish, anti-establishment attitude. Given a PR opportunity like this there was no way they wouldn’t seize it with all the glee of a sticky child in a jewelry shop, and it took no time at all for an expletive filled response to make its way onto the web. Those of a sensitive disposition should look away now.
“We have thousands of craft beer fans who have invested in what we do and how we do it – they are the people we listen to – not the killjoy, self-important pen pushers at the ASA in their Burton suits. Those mother fuckers don’t have any jurisdiction over us anyway.”
Questions of remit aside, this has quickly made news in industry press and national papers, as well as generating a hashtag – #kissmyasa.
This is great for Brewdog, as it plays to their brand image perfectly. McDonalds couldn’t get away with this, but Brewdog’s loyal fanbase is lapping it up – and it comes as they push for £4m in equity to expand their business. Excellent strategy.