The brewer claims the banned outdoor ad did not imply the Wingman beer had any “therapeutic or mood-altering effects”.
A poster promoting BrewDog’s Wingman beer has been banned by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) for implying alcohol is a remedy for “boredom, loneliness or other problems”.
The outdoor ad, which was seen in May 2025, included the tagline: ‘BrewDog. Always got your back’.
Referencing problems like WiFi failure, bad weather and a friend being late, BrewDog implied its beer could be an antidote, with text that said: “Wingman stands firm. Always on station, always mission-ready, always got your back. Because every great operation deserves a great Wingman.”
The ASA banned the ad today (6 August) after deciding it was in breach of the CAP Code, which states marketing communications must not imply that drinking alcohol can overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems.
A poster promoting BrewDog’s Wingman beer has been banned by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) for implying alcohol is a remedy for “boredom, loneliness or other problems”.
The outdoor ad, which was seen in May 2025, included the tagline: ‘BrewDog. Always got your back’.
Referencing problems like WiFi failure, bad weather and a friend being late, BrewDog implied its beer could be an antidote, with text that said: “Wingman stands firm. Always on station, always mission-ready, always got your back. Because every great operation deserves a great Wingman.”
The ASA banned the ad today (6 August) after deciding it was in breach of the CAP Code, which states marketing communications must not imply that drinking alcohol can overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems.
BrewDog denies the ad implied the beer had any “therapeutic or mood-altering effects”.
In its response to the ASA, the brand defended its ad, arguing it used “metaphorical” language that aligned with the beer’s air force theme.
While one complainant rose the issue with the ASA, BrewDog says it received no complaints directly.
It’s not the first time BrewDog has made an advertising misstep.
A promotion in 2023 came under ASA scrutiny for misleading customers that they could win a solid gold can, when they were in fact gold-plated and largely made of brass. Following a backlash, CEO James Watt described the aftermath as a “£500,000 mistake”.
In 2021, the brand came under fire for claiming its fruit-flavoured beers were part of drinkers’ five a day.
In response, Watt took to social media to complain, writing: “The ASA have banned our Instagram advert for saying that we cannot call our seltzer a health drink because we cannot call our seltzer a health drink. Pretty meta. We are also not allowed to tell people it only has 90 calories. Even though it has.”
A year earlier, the brand’s seltzer, a lower calorie alternative, included text which said ‘Due to advertising regulations we cannot claim this drink is healthy’ which was also banned. Back in 2019 an ad which alluded to a swearword – ‘Sober as a motherfu’ was also banned by the ASA.
A new era?
The ban comes as BrewDog contends with declining brand health and the closure of 10 of its pubs last month. The brewer blamed an “extremely difficult” environment for the hospitality industry for forcing the closures.
In June, BrewDog unveiled a brand refresh to mixed reaction and wiped its Instagram account to signal “a new era”.
Data accessed by Marketing Week at the time suggested BrewDog’s refresh comes amid a wider struggle with brand health. According to YouGov BrandIndex, the brewer’s index score – an overall measure of brand health – averaged at 5.2 for the year ending 3 June 2025. That figure is down versus the year prior, when BrewDog achieved a brand health score of 7.8.
The bar business has seen an even more dramatic fall in brand health over the past year, according to YouGov, halving to 1.9 from 4.1 the year prior.
The company has also struggled with profitability, having not made a profit since 2019. The firm’s last account filing to Companies House for 2023 shows pre-tax losses of £59.2m, up from £30.5m in 2022.
A detailed analysis of BrewDog’s brand health and refresh can be read here.
