“This is not a soft drink. This is telling your boss their jokes aren’t funny. This is running into the freezing cold sea, in just your granny pants. It’s showing how you feel. No guts, no glory, showing the world who you truly are… No, no, no, pal this is IRN-BRU…and it’s Made in Scotland from Girders.”
The classic line is back. But in its new incarnation in Lucky Generals’ first work for the soft drink, being made from girders is not about having iron in your veins, but iron in your heart as well. Being less about physical strength and more about finding something deeper.
The new campaign is the brand’s most significant investment outside of Scotland to date, with media planning by the7stars and earned media and cultural partnerships by John Doe. It also launches a new long-term platform for IRN-BRU. The new Made in Scotland from Girders platform celebrates the drink’s unmistakable Scottish spirit and respects its heritage while giving it fresh relevance for a new generation. At the heart of the work is a powerful repositioning. IRN-BRU isn’t a soft drink — it’s a brave drink.
This is flying too close to the sun, with ginger hair, in a heat wave”, the hero commercial’s main character eulogises. It is about strength of character and the courage to be different. The line that once stood for iron in the veins now speaks to something more maverick, more human, and more emotionally resonant — all while keeping that edgy IRN-BRU humour intact.
The full campaign covers TV, BVOD, SVOD, cinema andsSocial, supported by striking OOH, including a hero execution of the boy sitting on a steel girder high above Glasgow, an homage to the famous Lunch Atop A Skyscaper photo and visual echo of the drink’s industrial roots and a nod to the steel it puts in your soul.
Kenny Nicholson, brand director for IRN-BRU, stated, “We wanted to do something that respected and celebrated our brand’s heritage, while moving it forward in a meaningful way. Made in Scotland from Girders is one of the most iconic lines in advertising, and this campaign brings it back with all the personality of the IRN-BRU of yesterday — and the brave spirit of tomorrow.”
Shelley Smoler, chief creative officer at Lucky Generals, added “This is not a soft drink. It’s a ‘heritage-built-on-girders-and-a-client-brave-enough-to-bring-it-back’ drink.”
Danny Hunt, creative director at Lucky Generals, added, “Having a Dad who is also Made in Scotland from Girders has meant there was a lot of pressure on this account right from the pitch. Fortunately, he approves of the idea (thanks Gaz) and will no longer be wearing any pants as a mark of respect.”
Credits:
Client: AG Barr [IRN-BRU]
Creative Agency: Lucky Generals
Media Agency: the7stars
PR Agency: I Am John Doe
Director: Elliott Power
Production Company: LoveSong Films
Managing Partner: Kelly Bayett
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Shirley O’Connor
Executive Producer: Sara Wallace
Producer: Maeve McMahon
Line Producer: Beth Allen
Post Producer: Rachael Donson
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Fitzpatrick
Director’s Assistant: Jane Checketts
DOP: Anna Franquesa Solano
1st AD: Chris Mears
Editing: The Quarry
Editor: Jonnie Scarlett
Assistant Editor: Henry Thackray
Offline Producer: Dilia Knobel-Winterstein
Executive Producer: Tor Adams
Post Production Company: Stray
Executive Producer: Misha Stanford Harris
Creative Director, Founder & VFX Supervisor: Carl Norton
Executive Producer: Clare Melia
Producer: Ellie Georgiou
Colour: ETC
Colourist: Jason Wallis
Head of Colour: Oliver Whitworth
Sound: King Lear
Sound Designer: Ed Downham
Producer: Leo Clayton
Music: THE HOGAN
Music Supervisors: Isa Rehman & Sean Hogan
