A poster for BrewDog has been banned after a watchdog ruled that it implied 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”,
The ad copy added: “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 (ASA) received one complaint that the ad implied that alcohol was a remedy for disappointment, suffering and isolation. However, BrewDog said the ad did not imply that the beer provided comfort, relief or escape from any form of distress, and positioned the product as being of reliable quality rather than a remedy or coping mechanism.
It also did not believe the ad claimed or implied that the beer had any therapeutic or mood-altering effects or that the ad suggested alcohol was essential or a priority in life.
The ASA said the advert used "metaphorical language to evoke Wingman’s reliability, consistency and a sense of camaraderie", adding that 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 watchdog said: “For those reasons, we considered the ad implied that drinking alcohol could overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems and concluded it breached the code.”
The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again, adding: “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.”