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1. Irn-Bru advert analysis
Daniel Edwards

2. Advert ONE
IRN-BRU
Child doing work at the side of
the road.
Irn-Bru bottle about to be run
over by steamroller.
Bottle is too strong, and he
has to reverse.
Advertising new heritage
can.

3. Advert ONE
IRN-BRU
The advert starts with a young boys Irn-Bru bottle about the be run over by a steamroller. He
warns the driver, but he continues on. The young boy braces himself for the bottle to explode but
the bottle stays upright and holds the weight of the steamroller. The steamroller then reverses.
This advert makes fun of the idea that all things Scottish are tough and strong by allowing the
viewer to believe that the bottle is stronger than the steamroller, simply because it is Irn-Bru. Of
course in reality the bottle would have exploded.
The advert is set on the streets of Glasgow and displays lots of men at work with noises that you
would typically associate with a building site in the background. I believe this will appeal to their
working class target audience.
At the end of the advert they also advertise something called an ‘Irn-Bru Heritage can’ which is
there to celebrate the time Irn-Bru has been an entity within Scotland and the culture it
represents.

4. Advert TWO
[drinks] “Ooooh sh-”
[drinks] “Ooooh you w-”
FIERY IRN-BRU
“IT. Or is it I.T? I don’t know.”
“Anchor – that’s how I did my back in, out
sailing.”

5. Advert TWO
FIERY IRN-BRU
The aim is simply to make the audience laugh, and pensioners swearing in Glaswegian accents is
enough to do that. This ties straight in with keeping the brand very Scottish, and sticks to the
prejudices that suggest old Scottish people constantly swear. They have really attempted to push
the limits of what can and can not be aired on television.
They begin by talking about something unrelated to the product, and then mention how one of
their children has bought them a drink called ‘Fiery Irn-Bru’, and then they take a sip. Whatever
they taste makes them scream profanities, but before they can finish the advert switches to the
next scene, in which the latest pensioner begins talking about something unrelated also, but the
first word of their sentence miraculously completes the swear word began by the previous
pensioner.
Enough laughter is elicited from the advert for this to begin to become a talking point
between friends, family, and work mates, and of course in turn word of mouth begins to
transform into sales.

6. Advert THREE
IRN-BRU
Children playing at playgroup.
Children playing on a Seesaw.
Child looking devilish/satanic.
Irn-Bru announcing that they are
‘different’.

7. Advert THREE
IRN-BRU
This advert shows children at a playgroup acting as children at a playgroup normally would –
playing with toys, using a Seesaw, playing on a tricycle etc. – but not the child at the back of the
room. This is because like Irn-Bru, he is different. From the beginning of the advert music you
would associate with a baby in a cot is being played, but once the ‘different’ child is in site, the
music quickly becomes overly dramatic and they zoom to the child who is in a darkened corner
with clear devilish eyes.
Attempting to be seen as ‘different’ is often a main target for every campaign for any product in
any market, but I believe Irn-Bru are attempting satire in their version of this by purposefully
going way over the top in announcing how different their product is.
The target audience are likely to find something along these lines very funny and relatable as it is
the relevant age group for things like horror movies and small sketch shows. Also, as a lower
percentage of the younger generation are religious, this is less likely to cause much offence.

8. Advert FOUR
IRN-BRU
Girlfriend has moved in.
Drinks Irn-Bru, to ‘get him through’.
Girlfriend’s Mother has also moved in.
Drinks Irn-Bru once again, to ‘get him
through’.
Irn-Bru ‘gets you through’ tagline.

9. Advert FOUR
IRN-BRU
The tagline for the latest set of adverts – including this one – is ‘Gets you through.’ This works
with the idea that something that would normally draw a reaction from you is now dealt with and
calmed by being able to have a sip of Irn-Bru, which seems to give you the ability to be ok with
any situation.
In this particular advert a man’s girlfriend appears to have moved in to his house without his
knowledge and in the process has changed almost everything, mostly by making it look
like a Barbie doll house. As he is continuously notified of things he would normally struggle to be
able to deal with properly, he sips some of his Irn-Bru, and is then more than happy with the
situation. His girlfriends Mother has moved in too, and has even began using his razor, but
because of the Irn-Bru, he’s perfectly fine with this also.
I believe this hits Irn-Bru’s target market perfectly, as it directly addresses problems they may
have already had or may have in the future. The advert almost makes you feel sorry for the main
character, which in turn creates some kind of emotional link to the drink and the brand.

10. IRN-BRU 32 packaging
With Irn-Bru 32, Irn-Bru have stuck to the colour scheme that has
brought them so much success throughout Great Britain and Scotland
in particular. The blue is largely representative of Scotland and the
orange could be a joke around the prejudices based on the idea that a
large proportion of Scottish people have ginger hair.
The word ‘NEW’ is in bright yellow and is place to the top left of the
can. The yellow helps it stand out completely from everything else on
the can and draw in a potential buyer by making them believe they
could be one of the first to try the drink.
The name ‘IRN-BRU’ is in a silvery gray colour with a bold outline that
helps it stand out despite the bright colours surrounding it. The colour
is quite steely and reminiscent of something you would see in a
gymnasium. As this is an energy drink, this could help towards a large
target market of gym goers that may use the drink for energy before
work-outs.
The ’32’ in a way looks frozen and icy as if to say the drink is ice cold.
Ice is typically cold and fresh, and these two things sound very
refreshing when thinking about a drink, making this something that
could become popular during hot weather.

11. Full Throttle advertisement
The ad title of ‘0 to 60 in 16
ounces’ plays on their product
name ‘Full Throttle’ and
immediately attracts the market
that includes anyone who is
interested in cars or motorsport.
When talking about
supercars/bikes, one of the first
questions asked is how fast they
can get from 0-60. By
incorporating this term, Full
Throttle have created a link
between the drink and
motorsport, and instilled the idea
that the drink speeds you up, and
of course gives you energy.
The main image in the centre of
the advertisement is a supercar
with its hood up so you can see
the engine, but there is no
engine, only multiple cans of Full
Throttle. This is to say that the
supercar is powered, or
fuelled, with Full Throttle. The
idea is that if it can fuel a
supercar, it can definitely fuel
you.
I do think this design is untidy
and could have been done with
much more clarity, but I do
believe the main target market
for the drink will be teenage
boys, so the aesthetics might not
be a large issue.

12. Monster advertisement
I believe whilst it is
largely aimed at the
younger market,
Monster’s direct target
market is gamers. The
whole idea of
monsters isn’t
something that will
draw much attention
from the general
public, but people who
enjoy all things
fantastical will
definitely have their
head turned.
A sentence like ‘Unleash the
Beast’ could be quite exciting for
someone of a younger. ‘Beast’ has
been capitalised I believe to signify
that is unleashing something
within you.
The colour scheme is
limited but still
manages to draw
energy, primarily
because of the
luminescent green that
is used in a claw
fashion as their logo.
The font used is definitely a font you
would associate with some kind of
Playstation/Xbox game. It’s un-neat, and
quite tough on the eye. This draws
connections with the whole idea of the
‘beast’.
The two things on the
can that are in
luminescent green are
the logo and the word
‘energy’. This is
important because over
time once you begin to
see the logo on it’s own
some may instantly
associate it with the
word energy, which
means Monster could
be the first thing on
your mind when energy
is something you’re in
dire need of.

13. Rockstar advertisement
Rockstar energy, like the majority
of the other energy drinks, is
targeted towards teenagers and
young adults. It has a slightly
more mature feel than say,
Monster, which I believe will
attract University students rather
than those a few years younger.
They use a star within the name
Rockstar, and also as their main
logo. I think this helps to
promote the brand on a wider
stage it is a very recognisable
logo when seen on BMX’s and
skateboards at sports events.
Live the life is a new tagline they
are using with their current range
of energy water. This is in relation
to their name ‘Rockstar, meaning
if they buy their drink they will
feel like a Rockstar.
The word energy is in bright yellow and is also bolded as to stand out on
its own. Whilst yellow is very bright and this was one of the main factors
for it’s use, the colour is also directly associated with the word energy
because of things like light and electricity. Having a full stop after the word
energy makes it look as though it is a blunt statement. This helps leave the
word in your mind after reading it.
The man pictured in the background is a popular skateboarder and this
helps potential buyers to aspire to be in his position, and life his lifestyle.

14. Lucozade advertisement
This advertisement was
made in tandem with
another couple that primarily
showed support British
sport. Others were for Rugby,
Cricket, and Football.
Here Lucozade have
attempted to cash in on the
hype surrounding longdistance runner Mo Farah
during the London Olympics.
By pushing patriotism on to
reader, Lucozade have made
it feel as though if you don’t
buy their drink, you aren’t
truly supporting Farah and
Team GB.
The image conveys a sense of
pressure and intensity which can
only be truly realised by a more
mature market. I do believe out of
all the energy drink
brands, Lucozade are targeting the
oldest audience.
‘Faster. Stronger. For Longer.’ works
very well because it instantly sticks
in your mind whilst also bringing 3
important incentives to your
attention.
They also offer interaction by giving
you an option to watch a small film
on Farah, which turns the
advertisement into more of an
immersive experience and helps
your support for Farah grow.

15. Red Bull packaging
The font used for the brand name ‘Red Bull’ are clear and defined,
and convey a sense of focus that may allow whoever views it to
associate it with focus and precision. Both of these are things
someone who wants to buy a can of Red Bull will be wanting to
gain. It even says at the bottom of the can that it revitilises not only
your body, but your mind.
The two red bulls look as if they are about to begin some kind of
fight or battle, this will give any potential buyer the idea that the
drink will get them ready for any task, and in a sense make them
ready for battle.
The two main colours are blue and a steely silver. Used in tandem
they give off a feel of freshness, makes the drink look refreshing,
and offer a clean cut and mature package.