The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
BrewDog's Wingman IPA said 'got your back' — ASA ruled it meant emotional support
BrewDog's Wingman IPA poster referenced bad weather and unreliable friends. The ASA ruled it implied alcohol solves emotional problems and banned it.
BrewDog
What happened
In May 2025, BrewDog ran a poster campaign for Wingman Session IPA with the tagline 'Always got your back.' The ad referenced everyday frustrations — bad weather, unreliable friends — positioning the beer as the reliable companion. The creative was modest by BrewDog's standards; no provocative imagery, no shock tactics.
On August 6, 2025, the ASA banned the ad. The regulator ruled that the ad implied alcohol could offer emotional support: 'The scenarios presented were real-life problems 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 ASA found this breached the code on alcohol advertising, which prohibits suggesting alcohol can help overcome problems.
The ruling reflected a stricter ASA enforcement posture in 2025. In the same period, the regulator banned Zara ads for 'unhealthily thin' models and Nike, Lacoste and Superdry ads for misleading green claims. For BrewDog — a brand built on provocative marketing — the Wingman ban was notable for its ordinariness: the ad that crossed the line was not provocative at all.
Why it happened
- The word 'Wingman' was the trap: the name implies companionship, and the creative delivered on that promise — together, they made loneliness the problem the beer was solving.
- Everyday frustrations were the trigger: the ASA distinguished between celebration (allowed) and problem-solving (banned) — bad weather and unreliable friends fell in the second category.
- The ban was mundane: BrewDog's most provocative ads survived for years; the one that crossed the line was a gentle poster about reliability — the standard moved, not the creative.
- The cluster effect mattered: alongside Zara and Nike bans in the same period, the ruling signalled tighter ASA enforcement across body image, green claims, and emotional messaging.
The lesson
An alcohol brand named after companionship that promises reliability is one metaphor away from implying it solves loneliness. The ASA drew the line at the implication, not the image.
Sources
- Design Rush — 'Zara and BrewDog ad bans: brand ethics enforcement', 2025-08
- Evening Standard — 'Major ads banned in the UK this year: BrewDog, M&S, Zara', 2025
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