Following the official announcement from the Portman Group that BrewDog’s Dead Pony Club pale ale is in breach of the alcohol marketing code, BrewDog @brewdog promptly took the Portman Group to task – in no uncertain terms.
BrewDog has reacted in typically outlandish fashion over the Portman Group’s ruling that its Dead Pony Club beer breaches the body’s marketing code.
Earlier today (28 April), the UK industry watchdog said that the 3.8% abv pale ale had broken its rules on marketing as the packaging encouraged “anti-social behaviour” and “rapid drinking”. Phrases on the beer’s label such as ‘rip it up down empty streets’ and ‘drink fast, live fast’ were ruled inappropriate by the group’s independent complaints panel.
But in a response today, BrewDog’s co-founder, James Watt, said: “On behalf of BrewDog PLC and its 14,691 individual shareholders, I would like to issue a formal apology to the Portman Group for not giving a sh*t about today’s ruling.”
He added: “While the Portman Group lives out its days deliberating whether a joke on a bottle of beer is responsible or irresponsible use of humour, at BrewDog we will just get on with brewing awesome beer and treating our customers like adults.”
The Scottish craft brewer has previously fallen foul of the Portman Group over its 18% abv beer Tokyo*.
A formal apology to @PortmanGroup http://t.co/uPSnTCjZtV #SorryNotSorry
— BrewDog (@brewdog) April 28, 2014