BrewDog's Tokyo beer banned from sale by Portman Group
BrewDog's Tokyo beer banned from sale by PortmanAnother row has erupted between Scottish brewery Brewdog and the Portman Group over the marketing of one of its products.
The Portman Group’s Code of Practice has now rules that Brewdog’s Tokyo beer will not be sold by bars, clubs and shops in the UK following complains that its label encouraged excessive drinking.
The beer, which has an alcohol by volume rate of 18% breaks the code which set for minimum, mandatory standards for drinks marketing.
David Poley,chief executive of the Portman Group, said: “We don’t regulate the alcohol content of drinks but we do control how they are promoted. It’s obviously unwise for any company to urge consumers to drink to excess. We won’t allow any irresponsible marketing whether it’s for a big brand or a niche product. That’s why we’re taking action to restrict future sales of this beer.”
Despite the ban, the Panel has dismissed complains that the product’s packaging unduly emphasised Tokyo’s strength and that the expression “intergalactic fantastic” on the label was a reference to the effects of illicit drugs.
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Comments
This is what they wanted. A PR vehicle. Stop giving them space.
Saying that. They have big balls & are being talked about.
It seems to be becoming a shandy state.
yea there was also a thing about some beer they are doing that's 32% ABV in the metro the other day - it is fairly blatant PR grabbing/publicity seeking stuff. Doesn't make me want the product or particularly like the brand - Brew Dog - the Jordan of the drinks industry?
Surprise! Another cheap PR shot by the self styled 'enfant terrible' of the scottish licensing trade. Here's an idea maybe they could stop this kind of publicity seeking nonsense, bite the bullet and actually run a proper marketing campaign - oh sorry that would cost money.
So they're getting into national newspapers and getting talked about on a very small budget? It might not be the most sophisticated way to go about it, but good luck to 'em
As usual, Dave Trott sums it up perfectly:
http://community.brandrepublic.com/blogs/dtb/archive/2009/12/02/they-wan...
In a country such as Scotland and the UK where the attitude of drinking to excess is rife it is a joke to try and market this product. They claim this should be consumed and 'savoured' like a malt as it has a re-sealable bottle. Or at least that is what I remember them saying when they managed to get on TV. It will take a generation of re-education to sort out this country's attitude for the drinking public to agree with this rationale.
Has anyone read the finance element of thier share sale brochure? 10,000 shares at £230 a pop (totalling 7% of the business) suggesting a value of over £25m - based on a loss making firm with t/o of less than £2m and losses of more than £250k.
No wonder they seek free stunt based PR stuff.
Seems silly to ask but do any of their products rely on taste or are they all about notoriety? Perhaps they should learn a lesson form Benetton who learnt that not all publicity is good publicity. People get tired of it fast.
The beers are nice, got sent a selection of them a while back (all between 4% – 12%) and they're at least comparable with the majority of more established brands. There's no doubting the guys who run the company have done a good job putting their product in the public eye, using a limited budget.
The beers are nice, got sent a selection of them a while back (all between 4% – 12%) and they're at least comparable with the majority of more established brands. There's no doubting the guys who run the company have done a good job putting their product in the public eye, using a limited budget.
Going by the amount of comments passed on here, their shameless self-publication seems to be working! We designed a brand for a rival brewer and they actually said in their brief that they wanted us to stay away from anything that looks like Brewdog, the brewing industry hates them!
Clearly these guys base their pr on 'any publicity is good publicity' but to be honest, I'm bored hearing about them. It doesn't make me want to buy their beer, it makes me want to laugh at anyone who does! The average person on the street has never heard of them and isn't likely to. I've seen their bottles on the supermarket shelves and they don't look edgy and creative, they look shite and cheap.
Going the same way as buckfast me thinks!
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