Super-fans of many brands don’t just buy the merch, they get the tattoo. And a surprisingly (perhaps) high number of IRN-BRU super fans have the brand tattooed on themselves.
To celebrate this passion, IRN-BRU’s 125th anniversary and the recently launched new can designs, BRU is offering free ink – a tattoo of its new cans.
The idea comes from Lucky Generals and was developed and executed by comms agency, Joe Doe, as an influencer and experiental campaign.
The Tat-BRU parlour opened its doors in Glasgow on Saturday March 21 when the team took over the city’s Empire Ink store. The parlour inked fans who have summoned the girders to get their first BRU tat as well as those who wanted to double their Girders and get a second.
The free ink initiative is part of BRU’s anniversary celebrations that underline its legacy of championing maverick bravery and inner strength with the return of its famous Made in Scotland from Girders strapline on the pack and its girder emblem returned to front and centre. The refreshed design also revives the legendary ‘molten man’ insignia from the 1988 era, celebrating the brand’s industrial roots while injecting a fresh burst of energy and modern character.
After hearing feedback from fans, Sugar Free will revert to DIET, while XTRA will now appear as ZERO – with the hugely loved liquids themselves remaining unchanged.
Kenny Nicholson, director of brand at IRN-BRU, commented, “For 125 years, IRN-BRU has proudly been Made in Scotland from Girders. To celebrate our milestone, we’ve brought this iconic slogan back, in an evolved look that typifies our industrial roots and the maverick bravery at the heart of BRU. With our first-ever tattoo pop-up, everyone has the chance to show their IRN-BRU love in true style. We know that many fans already have BRU tattoos, so whether it’s a ‘tat-two’ or a first piece of body art, this is all about celebrating our legendary history, our refreshed look, and the fans who make IRN-BRU so special.”
Pam Scobbie, chief creative officer at John Doe, commented, “There are very few brands which hold so much love amongst their fans that people would literally be queuing for tattoos – but IRN-BRU is most certainly one of them. Our Tat-BRU parlour sold out in minutes. Bringing this to life has been one of our boldest campaigns for BRU to date, showing exactly why this is one of the UK’s most popular soft drinks.”
Danny Hunt, creative director at Lucky Generals, added, “There are so many people with IRN-BRU tattoos that when we found out about the beautiful new can designs, offering new tattoos seemed the right thing to do. We also couldn’t wait to see who has the girders to get their first Tat-BRU.”
