#WBD Blog

125 years of Irn-Bru

Irn-Bru is celebrating it’s 125th anniversary, made in Scotland since 1901. For most of that time it has held a grip on the Scottish soft drinks market that few brands anywhere in the world can match in their home territory. It is now one of the top five carbonated soft drinks in the UK, the result of a sustained push to grow the brand beyond it’s heartland.

This summer the timing for Scotland's first World Cup in 28 years gave Irn-Bru the perfect moment to reintroduce its iconic 1980s 'Made in Scotland from Girders' campaign, as an anthem for the Tartan Army. The campaign was rolled out like a music release, teaser activity, a Spotify and vinyl launch, airport out-of-home aimed at departing fans, and reactive social content designed to seed the anthem into Scottish fan culture well before the tournament began.

With only around 40% of Irn-Bru sales currently coming from outside Scotland, AG Barr has been clear about using this summer as a commercial opportunity to grow the brand's reach across England and Wales, and further afield.

Irn-Bru is an iconic brand – and you can’t say that very often – with a simple, clear proposition and strong brand identity. We approve of the return to the ‘girders’ comms. Always packed with gentle humour and irreverence. Always well branded and memorable. It fits the slightly hardcore image of the brand and delivers an underlying authenticity. A brand not trying to flip-flop but gradually modernising whilst staying true to its core. We particularly like the anniversary ‘1901’ SKU, that is described as - ‘old and unimproved’. Awesome.

The point is, it is easy for classic brands, like Irn-Bru, to spend too much time worrying about what they are not. What follows is usually a frog-kissing process in search of a new idea that gradually dilutes its inner core, its raison d'être. AG Barr seem to understand they have something distinctive and relevant that needs nurturing and protecting. The Scottish-ness is not just interesting to the Scottish; it is a provenance that fits the brand.

#WhatBrandsDo lesson: most brands struggle to raise themselves above the relentless mêlée of competitive intensity – and there is nothing wrong with solid brands doing solid work – but if your brand ever rises above the scrum and unlocks something more meaningful and memorable – evolve by all means, but never be stupid enough to think you have a high chance that changing will find another bit of magic as strong as the first one. Great ideas are rare for a reason. Stick with it if you ever get one! In the triumph of hope over experience brand ‘repositionings’ regularly top the #WBD charts. AG Barr seem to have the strategic maturity to realise this!

Find out more about IrnBru: https://irn-bru.co.uk/