BrewDog mocks sexist advertising with sexist advertising
The ever-so-edgy brewers at pugnacious craft beer company BrewDog have come up with yet another attention-grabbing campaign.
Repackaging its flagship Punk IPA with a pink label, BrewDog has said its "Pink IPA" is a "send-up of the lazy marketing efforts targeting the female market".
But the campaign has already attracted criticism from BrewDog fans, with social media users dubbing it "patronising".
https://twitter.com/georgina_breeze/status/970953237296746496
"Lazily targeting the female market with sub-par products designed by expensive research are inherently patronising."
What, you mean like repackaging the EXACT SAME BEER with a pink label and calling it "beer for women"?
The pink beer will be 20 per cent cheaper, in a move the brewer says is intended to "trigger questions about why women continue to earn less than their male counterparts".
Read more: Here's how to grab a free beer in London right now
On top of that, 20 per cent of proceeds from both IPA formats over the next four weeks will go to a charity which supports women and girls in science and technology careers.
But some were unimpressed with the initiative.
Better, cheaper and much easier move would have been to take on a female brewer or female brewer apprenticeships.
— Michael Beveridge (@mickyb273) March 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/_digitalash/status/970953813153763328
Meanwhile others made alternative suggestions for the name of the rebranded beer.
Could have called it Emmeline Punkhurst and avoided the whole Pink for Girls think
— David Parr (@NocturneRose) March 6, 2018
Some even questioned whether the company had many female staff.
Oh dear god. Hire some women. Lots of women. In key positions. Executive-level, decision-making positions.
Do it fast.
Do it now.
— Mark Dexter 🕊 (@RealMarkDexter) March 6, 2018
This is what happens when men come up with advertising campaigns aimed at women. You have really missed the mark on this one BrewDog!
— Matt Gee (@Mattrgee) March 6, 2018
However BrewDog's campaign launch features supporting quotes from prominent women in the business including Sarah Warman, head of marketing, and Tanisha Robinson, chief executive of the USA part of the business.
"Pink IPA is our rallying call to brewers and beer fans to rise to the challenge and change the image of beer, forever," commented Robinson.
The company confirmed today that it has a median pay gap of 2.8 per cent across its global work force.
The company is still trying to attract new equity crowdfunding investors after it extended its crowdfunding raise with a goal of £50m.
Last week it announced that it would give away a million free beers in a bid to convert new customers to craft beer.