BrewDog forced to axe controversial 'suicide' ad following backlash
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: John Keeble/Getty Images
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide that some may find distressing
Scottish beer pioneers BrewDog have removed a controversial advert about ‘suicide’ after a complaint was made to the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Earlier this month, BrewDog attempted to celebrate its refreshed Punk IPA recipe by launching billboards with the slogan ‘tastes like commercial suicide’.
The ads featured an image of the company’s head of procurement Alan Owen studying a beverage can.
Advert
The ‘suicide’ promotion was supposed to poke fun at the fact that Punk IPA’s new recipe costs more to make than it did before, and that BrewDog weren’t planning on upping the price.
Critics and charities alike were quick to call out the craft beer company, with some calling it ‘appalling’ and ‘tone deaf’, as per The Grocer.
Paul O’Brien, a London-based design director, branded the ad as ‘distasteful’, claiming that dropping the word suicide in a marketing campaign was ‘reckless’.
“Great creative pushes boundaries, challenges industries and inspires others," he said.
"This does none of that. Do better BrewDog.”
ASA confirmed it had received a legal complaint over the eyebrow-raising advert, which was being assessed by the agency.
The ads agency confirmed no investigation would be necessary after BrewDog axed the billboards amid the backlash.
The controversial campaign has also been slated by non-profit organisation Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
A representative said in a statement: “Suicide isn’t a punchline. When suicide is the biggest killer of men under 40, using a national emergency as a shock tactic to sell beer leaves a bitter taste in our mouths.
“If suicide is on a billboard, let’s make sure it’s about helping people get the vital support they need, reducing the stigma and helping people find hope when things get tough.”
Suicide Prevention Scotland added: “This is a hugely disappointing, entirely inappropriate advert. Mocking suicide is neither clever nor funny and adds to the stigma and distress people impacted by suicide feel, and can cost lives.”
FOODbible has reached out to representatives of BrewDog for further comment.
The advert retaliation comes just months after a ASA cautioned the business after it released a notice about its Wingman Session IPA.
The watchdog said it received a complaint that language used in the advert ‘implied that drinking alcohol could overcome boredom, loneliness, or other problems’.
It concluded it breached the code and that the Wingman ad must not appear again.
At the time, a BrewDog spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the ASA’s ruling on our recent Wingman advert and we are disappointed with the outcome, which we believe does not reflect the spirit or intent behind the campaign.
“That said, we won’t be running the ad again.”
The company, whose headquarters are located in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, was founded by James Watt and Martin Dickie in 2007.
Watt served as the businesses CEO for 17 years, stepping down in May 2024, while Dickie said farewell to both the business and the wider alcohol industry in August 2025.
Earlier this week, BrewDog launched a new alcohol alternative called Mello.
Engineered to rival functional, fan-favourite drinks such as Trip, the slimline cans contain magnesium, balm extract, and chamomile.
Available in BrewDog bars and in Tesco, Mello comes in two distinct flavours: peach and passionfruit, and lime and mint.
The cans expand the company’s alcohol-free portfolio, which already include IPAs and lagers.