Irn-Bru advert analysis

Daniel Edwards

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.

Advert ONE

The advert starts with a young boys Irn-Bru bottle about the be run over by a steamroller. Hewarns the driver, but he continues on. The young boy braces himself for the bottle to explode butthe 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 theviewer to believe that the bottle is stronger than the steamroller, simply because it is Irn-Bru. Ofcourse 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 youwould typically associate with a building site in the background. I believe this will appeal to theirworking class target audience.

At the end of the advert they also advertise something called an ‘Irn-Bru Heritage can’ which isthere to celebrate the time Irn-Bru has been an entity within Scotland and the culture itrepresents.

IRN-BRU

Advert TWO FIERY IRN-BRU

[drinks] “Ooooh you w-”“Anchor – that’s how I did my back in, out sailing.”

[drinks] “Ooooh sh-” “IT. Or is it I.T? I don’t know.”

The aim is simply to make the audience laugh, and pensioners swearing in Glaswegian accents isenough to do that. This ties straight in with keeping the brand very Scottish, and sticks to theprejudices that suggest old Scottish people constantly swear. They have really attempted to pushthe 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 oftheir children has bought them a drink called ‘Fiery Irn-Bru’, and then they take a sip. Whateverthey 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 pointbetween friends, family, and work mates, and of course in turn word of mouth begins totransform into sales.

Advert TWO FIERY IRN-BRU

Advert THREE IRN-BRU

Children playing at playgroup. Children playing on a Seesaw.

Child looking devilish/satanic. Irn-Bru announcing that they are ‘different’.

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 theroom. This is because like Irn-Bru, he is different. From the beginning of the advert music youwould associate with a baby in a cot is being played, but once the ‘different’ child is in site, themusic quickly becomes overly dramatic and they zoom to the child who is in a darkened cornerwith clear devilish eyes.

Attempting to be seen as ‘different’ is often a main target for every campaign for any product inany 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 isthe relevant age group for things like horror movies and small sketch shows. Also, as a lowerpercentage of the younger generation are religious, this is less likely to cause much offence.

Advert THREE IRN-BRU

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.

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 andcalmed by being able to have a sip of Irn-Bru, which seems to give you the ability to be ok withany situation.

In this particular advert a man’s girlfriend appears to have moved in to his house without hisknowledge and in the process has changed almost everything, mostly by making it looklike a Barbie doll house. As he is continuously notified of things he would normally struggle to beable to deal with properly, he sips some of his Irn-Bru, and is then more than happy with thesituation. His girlfriends Mother has moved in too, and has even began using his razor, butbecause 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 mayhave already had or may have in the future. The advert almost makes you feel sorry for the maincharacter, which in turn creates some kind of emotional link to the drink and the brand.

IRN-BRUAdvert FOUR

IRN-BRU 32 packagingWith 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.

Full Throttle advertisementThe 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Rockstar advertisementRockstar 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.

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 long-distance 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.

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.