GoDaddy and Irn-Bru: Difference between pages

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{{POV|date=December 2007}}
{{Cleanup|date=July 2008}}

{{Infobox_Company |
{{Infobox Beverage
company_name = The GoDaddy Group, Inc. |
|name=Irn-Bru
company_logo = [[Image:Godaddy-Logo.svg|200px|{{deletable image-caption|1=Wednesday, 9 January 2008}}]] |
|image=[[Image:Irn-Bru logo.jpg|Irn-Bru logo|175px|The official Irn-Bru logo]]
company_type = [[Private company]] |
|type=[[Carbonation|Carbonated]] [[soft drink]]
foundation = 1997 |
|manufacturer=[[A.G. Barr plc]]
location = [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], [[USA]] |
|origin= {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Scotland]]
key_people = [[Bob Parsons]] |
|introduced=1901
industry = [[Domain Registrar]] |
|discontinued=
products = Web services |
|colour = Orange
homepage= http://www.godaddy.com/ |
|related= [[Coca-Cola]]<br>[[Pepsi]]<br>[[Fanta]]<br>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnie Kinnie]
|variants= Diet Irn-Bru<br>Irn-Bru 32<br>Irn-Bru Chew Bar
}}
}}


'''Irn-Bru''' (pronounced ''iron brew,'' {{IPAEng|ˈaɪɚn ˈbruː}}) is a popular [[carbonation|carbonated]] [[soft drink]] produced in [[Scotland]]. It is made by [[A.G. Barr plc]], of [[Cumbernauld]]. Barr's Irn-Bru is available in the [[United Kingdom]], the [[Republic of Ireland]], [[Gibraltar]], [[Malta]], [[Russia]], [[Canada]], [[Norway]], [[South Africa]], [[Singapore]], parts of [[Europe]] such as [[Poland]], the [[Middle East]], in some parts of [[Australia]] (introduced in 2006), [[New Zealand]] (introduced in 2007) and in the [[United States]].
'''Go Daddy''' is an Internet [[Domain name registrar|domain registrar]] and [[web hosting]] company, which also sells e-business related software and services.

== Overview ==

Irn-Bru is famous for its bright orange colour (something it shares with the glucose drink [[Lucozade]]). As of 1999 it contained 0.002% of [[ammonium ferric citrate]], [[sugar]], 32 flavouring agents (including [[caffeine]]—though caffeine is not listed as an ingredient on the Australian labelling—and [[quinine]]) and two controversial colourings ([[Sunset Yellow FCF|E110]], [[Ponceau 4R|E124]]). It is advertised as having a slight [[citrus]] flavour, but many have differing opinions of the exact taste of Irn-Bru. One of the key ingredients is said to be barley while another rumour holds that seaweed is a major contributor to the taste{{Fact|date=April 2008}}.

Irn-Bru was first produced in 1901, under the name Strachan's brew. In 1946, a change in laws required that the word "brew" be removed from the name, as the drink is not technically [[Brewing (beer)|brewed]]. The chairman of the company came up with the idea of changing both halves of the name to a phonetic spelling, giving the current Irn-Bru brand. 1980 saw the introduction of Low Calorie Irn-Bru; this was re-launched in 1991 as [[Diet soda|Diet]] Irn-Bru and the Irn-Bru 32 [[energy drink]] variant was launched in 2006. All the rumour and folklore surrounding Irn-Bru only serve to help keep it in its place as an icon of Scottish popular culture.

It has long been the most popular soft drink in Scotland, outselling [[Coca-Cola]], but recent fierce competition between the two brands has brought their sales to roughly equal levels (perhaps leaning to Coca-Cola).<ref>[http://business.scotsman.com/business/Coke-takes-sparkle-from-IrnBru.2465856.jp "Coke takes sparkle from Irn-Bru".] ''The Scotsman'', [[30 September]] [[2003]].</ref> It is also the third best selling soft drink in the UK, after Coca-Cola and Pepsi, outselling high-profile brands such as [[Fanta]], [[Dr Pepper]], [[Sprite (soft drink)|Sprite]] and [[7-Up]]. This success in defending its home market (a feat claimed only by Irn-Bru, [[Brazil]]'s [[Guaraná]], [[South Australia]]'s [[Farmers Union Iced Coffee]], [[Peru]]'s [[Inca Kola]], [[Malta]]'s [[Kinnie]] and [[Sweden]]'s [[Julmust]]) has led to ongoing speculation that Coca-Cola, [[PepsiCo, Inc.]] or its UK brand franchisee [[Britvic]] would attempt to buy A.G. Barr

Irn-Bru's advertising slogans used to be "Scotland's other National Drink", referring to [[whisky]], and "Bru'd in Scotland from girders", though the closest one can come to substantiating this claim is the 0.002% [[ammonium ferric citrate]] listed in the ingredients.

== Packaging ==
Irn-Bru and other Barr brands including Pineappleade, [[Cream soda|Cream Soda]], [[Tizer]], [[Red Kola]], [[Barr Cola]], and [[Limeade]] are still available in environmentally-friendly, 750ml reusable glass bottles. The empty bottles can be returned to the manufacturer via any retailer which sells them, and can usually be exchanged for the deposit (30 pence deposit<ref>[http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2397941.0.irnbru_bottle_deposit_rises_to_30p.php "bottle deposit increase for Barrs"]</ref> RRP 95p - July'09). In areas of Scotland these are known as "Gless Cheques", "Gingies", "hectors", "jiggy bottles", "jangl'rs", "Rammies" or "Glaise Boattles".
[[Image:Fm irnbru.jpg|thumb|left|Irn Bru]]
[[Image:Irnbrubootle.jpg|thumb|2L Bottle of Diet Irn-Bru]]
Irn-Bru and Diet Irn-Bru are available in the following sizes:
* 150ml can
* 250ml plastic bottle
* 330ml can
* 500ml plastic bottle
* 600ml plastic bottle (Russia)
* 1L plastic bottle
* 1.25L bottle (Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland)
* 2L plastic bottle
* 3L plastic bottle
* 355ml glass bottle (in Canada)
* 750ml glass bottle
For restaurants and cafeterias, Irn-Bru syrup is available in 5 litre containers.
In May 2007, Irn-Bru underwent a re-design of its bottles and cans.

== Marketing ==
{{Cleanup-section|date={{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}}}

=== Advertising Campaigns ===

Irn-Bru's [[advertising]] campaigns have always been very different from those of other commercial soft drinks. Until recently, most were variants on the "Made in Scotland from girders" tagline, usually featuring Irn-Bru drinkers becoming unusually strong, durable, or magnetic.

One series of adverts involved a man singing a song about his girlfriend who enjoyed Irn-Bru and, as such, was much more masculine than he was. The songs included lines such as "Do you remember that guy who called me a wimp? The Doc says he'll walk but he'll still have a limp." and "They say that love hurts but that's an understatement, with you love makes me turn black and blue. Got a funny feeling you've been drinking Iron Brew."

The last two television advertisements based on this slogan were parodies of more "typical" soft drink adverts. One featured a [[Coca-Cola]] style montage of happy Irn-Bru drinkers against a feelgood ballad. The other pastiched [[Pepsi]]'s use of pop singers in their adverts with a fictional heavy metal band. Since the 1990s, different approaches have been used.

Perhaps the best-remembered are the long running series of television and billboard adverts in [[black-and-white]], including the billboard with the [[grim reaper]] saying "Don't be scared. You'll still get Irn-Bru on the other side." and the supposed-advert for a cleaning product called "Jef", which consists of a small boy, the actor Murray Alford, in a box, who sucks Irn-Bru stains out of clothes.

=== Advertising ===

A popular advertising campaign launched in 2000 featured eccentric characters and situations. One involved a grandfather (played by actor Robert Wilson) who removed his false teeth to spoil his grandson's interest in his can of Irn-Bru. Another TV advert from this campaign evokes 1950s entertainment. The mother plays the [[piano]], while the father and two children deliver a song which ends with the mother singing: "Even though I used to be a man." This advertisement originally aired in 2000, but when it was re-aired in 2003, it received seventeen complaints<ref>[http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/adv_comp/a14/a14.pdf Ofcom response to complaints about Leith Agency advert for Irn-Bru], July 2004.</ref> from people who claimed it was offensive to transsexuals. Issue A14 of the [[Ofcom]] Advertising Complaints bulletin reports that the children's response to their mother's claim was not in fact offensive. The advertisement was meant to be a joke about changing points of view over time. However, the scene involving the mother shaving at the end of the advertisement was deemed to be potentially offensive to transsexuals, and so it was taken off the air. A further TV advertisement featured a senior citizen in a motorised wheelchair robbing a local shopping market of a supply of Irn-Bru.And there is the advert "WALKING IN THE AIR" with a snowman.

=== Over The Years ===

Over the years, advertising campaigns for Irn-Bru have caused upset. One billboard featured a young woman in a [[bikini]] along with the slogan, "I never knew four-and-a-half inches could give so much pleasure". Another featured a picture of a cow with the slogan "When I'm a burger, I want to be washed down with Irn-Bru". This billboard received over 700 complaints but was cleared by advertisement watchdogs.<ref>[http://www.asa.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B0A907A0-5D13-4EB5-9A40-CC5DA5584183/0/ASA_Statistics_1998.pdf Statistics: 1998 Complaints Resolved (Public and industry)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> A billboard which featured a depressed goth and the slogan "Cheer up Goth. Have an Irn Bru." was also criticised for inciting bullying.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3110801.stm BBC NEWS | Scotland | Irn Bru ad leaves bad taste<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

=== Irn Bru 32 Advertising ===

The Irn-Bru 32 (the recent energy drink addition to the Irn - Bru family) advertisement, featuring a stereotypical Glasgow "hardman" dressed as a giant cuckoo in a library was also criticised, with [[Strathclyde Police]] appealing for it to be banned for being too aggressive. In answer to these complaints, a tongue-in-cheek redubbed version of the advert, with the cuckoo speaking in a polite [[Estuary English]] accent was aired for a short period of time, eventually being replaced by the original. The ad was cleared by the [[Advertising Standards Authority]]. [http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17501254&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=cuckoo-aggro-is-ok--say-ad-chiefs--name_page.html]

The current marketing campaign for Irn-Bru is known as the "Phenomenal" campaign, and uses the tune from [[Piero Umiliani]]'s "[[Mah Nà Mah Nà]]," substituting "phenomenal" for the title lyric. Diet Irn-Bru's advertising campaign is currently "Oh Yeah", featuring a hapless [[lothario]] called "Raoul" and featuring the song "Oh Yeah" by [[Yello]].

=== 2006 Advertising ===

The Christmas 2006 advertising campaign is a parody of the ''[[Walking in the Air]]'' sequence from [[The Snowman]], featuring the snowman and a boy flying around Scotland. The lyrics to ''Walking in the Air'' have been changed to humorous effect.[http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=40112&version=6]

Irn-Bru have started a marketing campaign aimed at their main target area, Scotland. Prior to the 2006 world cup, Irn-Bru recruited [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago]] player, [[Jason Scotland]], to be the face of the product during the world cup period.

An early (and long running) advertising campaign was "The Adventures of Ba-Bru and Sandy" comic. A neon sign featuring Ba-Bru stood outside [[Glasgow Central railway station]] for many years, and was only removed in the late 1980s.

=== Recent Adverts ===

More recently, there has been a TV commercial, which features four [[Goth subculture|goth]]s who, after drinking Irn-Bru, become happy and go on a seaside trip to [[Blackpool]]. It also features them on the ''Irn-Bru Revolution'' rollercoaster. The commercial also featured [[The Undertones]] song 'Here Comes The Summer' as the background music.

== May 2008 ==

In May 2008 a new advert was made based on the poem If... by [[Rudyard Kipling]]. With the voice of the actor [[Martin Compston]] the idea of the advert is to capture the essence of Scotland.

==Brand portfolio==
{| class="wikitable" say cuz6+52*129+
|-
! Name !! Launched !! Discontinued !! Notes !! Picture
|-
| [[Irn Bru 32]]
| align="center"| 2006{{fact|date=August 2008}}
|
|
|-
|Diet Irn Bru
| align="center"| 1991
|
|
|-
|[[Irn Bru]]
| align="center"| 1901
|}

== Cultural influence ==
Irn-Bru is widely reputed to be an excellent cure for [[hangover]]s. This claim has some foundation in truth—all caffeinated drinks will soothe headaches to an extent, and sugary drinks will replace lost fluids and sugars.

[[Detective Inspector John Rebus]], the main character in [[Ian Rankin]]'s Rebus series, is often described buying an Irn-Bru for its hangover benefits after one of his all-too-frequent binges.

=== Irn Bru & Others ===

It is often used as a mixer with [[alcoholic beverage]]s—mainly [[vodka]] and [[whisky]]. Indeed, the popular [[United Kingdom|British]] [[alcopop]] [[WKD Original Vodka|WKD]] was originally launched as an alcoholic equivalent of Irn-Bru. Barr retaliated by launching a drink combining Irn-Bru and Bell's whisky, though this proved to be unpopular and was quickly discontinued. A later attempt came in the form of an official Irn-Bru flavour in the [[Red Square (drink)|Red Square]] line-up of vodka-based drinks; this too has been discontinued. There is now an official Irn-Bru WKD flavour.

=== Restaurants ===

When [[McDonald's]] restaurants first opened for trading in [[Glasgow]] they did not serve Irn-Bru. This was seen as an insult by some Scots, and a campaign to correct this oversight was launched. After many of their restaurants were picketed, McDonald's relented and began to stock Irn-Bru alongside their other soft drinks.

=== Popular Countries ===

There is an [[urban legend]], often heard in Scotland when discussing the drink, that states variously that Irn-Bru is more popular in Russia than it is in Scotland, or that it is more popular than [[Coca-Cola]] in Russia. Barr's first venture in Russia, with a Russian company backed by [[United States|American]] [[venture capitalists]], failed in August 2001. A second attempt at cracking the Russian market began in June 2002, backed by the [[Pepsi]] Bottling Group of Russia. Robin Barr, AG Barr chairman, said of the legend "Maybe I could sit here and hope that it [was more popular than Coke], but Coke was introduced into the Russian marketplace shortly after 1990, so they've been in business for some 12 years now, whereas we only started franchising Irn-Bru in Russia towards the end of 1998."<ref>[http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=639&id=661832002 Caps off to Irn-Bru for Russian revelation] The Edinburgh Evening News, [[17 June]] [[2002]].</ref>

=== Museums ===

In the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh there are a range of exhibits, selected by celebrities - [[Sean Connery]] chose a crate of Irn Bru.

=== Bands & Irn Bru ===
Scottish rock band The Fratellis featured a play on Irn Bru's logo as one of their T shirt designs in their 2008 tour. The band also brought Irn Bru with them to drink during performances.

== Exports and foreign markets ==
[[Image:RussianIrnBru.jpg|thumb|200px|Russian Irn-Bru]]


Irn-Bru is currently manufactured in five factories in [[Russia]], and is also manufactured under licence in [[Canada]], [[South Africa]], [[Australia]], and since May 2008 in [[Norway]]. Bru and various other Barr products are exported to [[Spain]], [[The Netherlands]], [[Germany]], [[Gibraltar]], [[Greece]], and [[Cyprus]], as well as parts of [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]. It is available sporadically in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}},[[Malta]], [[Belgium]] and, as of 2005, in [[Poland]].
Founded in 1997 by [[Bob Parsons]], who previously founded the software development company Parsons Technology, Inc., Go Daddy has become the largest [[ICANN]]-accredited [[Domain name registrar|registrar]] and the first registrar to surpass [[Network Solutions]] in total [[domain name]]s registered. Go Daddy won the [[CNET]] Editor's Choice award in 2001 and the Name Intelligence Largest Net Gain Award in both 2002 and 2003, jumping from fifth largest registrar to third largest overall, trailing only [[Network Solutions]] and [[Tucows]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. The Go Daddy Group, which includes Wild West Domains (its resale brand) as well as Blue Razor (its bulk domain brand), is currently the largest registrar in the world.<ref>[http://www.registrarstats.com RegistrarStats]</ref>


=== USA ===
Since Go Daddy's expanded growth into the [[information technology]] industry, it has participated in activities concerning the Internet in general. In the recent past, Go Daddy sued [[VeriSign|VeriSign, Inc.]], over the [[Site Finder]] controversy which put a wildcard in all domain names causing a web site from VeriSign, Inc. to appear if the domain name had not been registered. This event caused controversy over VeriSign's role as the sole maintainer of the .com and .net domain names. VeriSign pulled the wildcard service after a letter from [[ICANN]]. Go Daddy was also more recently sued by [[Web.com]] for [[patent infringement]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.thestreet.com/tech/internet/10293025.html
|title=Go Daddy Gets Sued
|publisher=TheStreet.com
|date=6/21/2006
|last=Berr
|first=Jonathan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.com.com/2110-1030_3-6085599.html
|title=Domain registrars in court
|publisher=News.com
|last=Mills
|first=Elinor
|date=June 19, 2006}}
</ref>


The legal status of Irn-Bru in the [[United States]] is unclear. Several American companies import Irn-Bru; yet, it is currently listed as a banned substance by the U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]]. The FDA website<ref>[http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia4502.html IMPORT ALERT IA4502<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> lists Irn-Bru and Diet Irn-Bru as containing the banned [[carcinogen]]ic colouring [[Ponceau 4R]](E124 which is banned from the U.S.), and [[Sunset Yellow FCF]], which the FDA has to approve on a per-batch basis.<ref>http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/cp09006.html</ref> One importer, Irn-Bru usa.<ref>[http://www.irn-bru-usa.com/ Irn Bru USA<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, modifies the drink to conform to FDA requirements.
Go Daddy gained market share against [[competitor]] [[Network Solutions]], surpassing them to become the largest domain registrar on [[April 26]], [[2005]].<ref>
{{cite news
|last=Small
|first=Robert L.
|url=http://www.robertlsmall.us/schoolfiles/BUA440web/companyresearch2.htm
|title=My Company Report on GoDaddy"
|date=2005-09-24
|accessdate=2007-01-14}}</ref> Speculation into the reasons for this include lower prices by Go Daddy for domain registrations, and the expansion of their product line.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
As part of their [[corporate giving]], in April 2006, the company donated $10,000 to the [[OpenSSH]] development program, which is managed by [[OpenBSD]].<ref>
{{cite pressrelease
|url=http://www.thehostingnews.com/article2217.html
|title=GoDaddy.com Donates $10K to Open Source Development Project
}}</ref> They have also donated $10,000 in March 2006 to [[Perverted-Justice.com]] in which volunteers pose online as minors to catch child predators.<ref>{{cite pressrelease
|url=http://www.hostreview.com/news/news/060331GODADDY.html
|title=Radio GoDaddy Rebranded to Life Online(TM) With Bob Parsons}}</ref>


The Foxon Park company<ref>[http://www.foxonpark.com/ Foxon Park Beverages<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in East Haven, Connecticut has made a dark-brown soft drink called "Iron Brew" for many decades. It seems likely that this product is named for the Scottish original, but the flavour is unrelated.
==Awards==
Go Daddy has won the Arizona Corporate Excellence Award for fastest growing privately held company in 2003 and Named Arizona Hot Growth Company in 2004.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Nationally, Go Daddy has been ranked #102 on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing privately held companies of 2005.<ref> {{cite web
|url=http://www.inc.com/app/inc500/viewCompany2005.jsp?cmpId=2005102
|title=The 2005 Inc. 500 Profiles
|publisher=Inc.com
|accessdate=2007-02-04}}</ref> Of the privately held technology companies on the list, Go Daddy ranked #1. Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year, awarded to Bob Parsons at the Arizona Governor's 2005 Innovation Celebration. Go Daddy has also been ranked #20 on the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


Sunset Yellow FCF is banned in [[Finland]], although Irn-Bru can still be purchased in certain Finnish shops specialising in imported goods.
==Marketing==
Go Daddy's advertising is produced in house, and typically emphasizes sexually suggestive material. Featured on their website, most of Go Daddy's commercials began with the 2005 Super Bowl advertisement, and from there went further to other television stations, with many being rejected for content. CEO Bob Parsons refers to the marketing as "GoDaddy-esque" which he describes as "fun, edgy and a bit inappropriate."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bobparsons.com/GoDaddy-esqueMarketing.html|publisher=BobParsons.com|last=Parsons|first=Bob|title=Our GoDaddy-esque marketing. Why I keep it edgy. Our 2nd GoDaddy-esque video cast.|date=2007-03-30|accessdate=2007-04-10}}</ref>


===The "Go Daddy Girl"===
== Canada ==


Irn-Bru sold in Canada contains no caffeine, as until recently only dark coloured drinks were permitted to contain caffeine<ref>[http://www.kishcom.com/?p=192 KishCom » Blog Archive » We’re all killing ourselves<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. As a result of this and the omission of quinine the taste is noticeably different, and the restorative effect is almost nil. It is also produced under licence, without caffeine, in Australia.
Most of the TV ads star current [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] [[WWE Diva|Diva]] [[Candice Michelle]], in some sort of sexual-related theme. Candice Michelle has been referred to as "Miss GoDaddy.com" or "The Go Daddy Girl" by fans and on WWE TV shows, where she also does the "Go Daddy Dance" (twirling her arms around her body while slowly turning) as part of her [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|wrestling gimmick]].


The now-defunct McKinley/McInlay soft-drink company in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada for many years offered its own non-licensed beverage called "Iron Brew". It was a brown carbonated soft-drink with a fruity cola taste. After the company stopped operations ca. 1990, PepsiCo continued to sell the drink locally as "Cape Breton's I'rn Bru". The packaging consisted of plainly labelled plastic bottles (black text on a featureless while label) and a disclaimer "Not a source of Iron". As of 2006 this product seems to be very difficult to find, even locally, and may have been phased-out.
===2005 Super Bowl advertisement===
In 2005, the company produced a commercial to parody the controversy over an incident that occurred during the previous year's [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|Super Bowl halftime show]]. It was aired in its first scheduled time slot, but was pulled from its second spot by [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] following reported complaints from the [[National Football League|NFL]].


The product has been licensed to be made in [[Spain]], where the colour of the can is brighter.
Although the ad did not go over well with some viewers,<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6930045/</ref> Go Daddy saw traffic to its website increase considerably more than to the sites of other Super Bowl advertisers.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


== Barr.plc ==
===2006 Super Bowl advertisement===
Candice Michelle appeared in the [[Super Bowl XL]] advertisement for Go Daddy. Approval of the advertisement was tough to achieve, with 13 versions getting rejected. The 14th version submitted was finally deemed "acceptable" on [[February 2]]. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} WWE announced that since the ad that aired at the Super Bowl was a highly edited version of the original ad, they would show the full, uncensored ad the day after on ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night RAW]]''.<ref>http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2085820</ref>


A.G. Barr has launched its Irn-Bru product throughout the [[Middle East]]. The [[Jeffrey International Group]] have been appointed as the distribution and marketing partner<ref>[http://www.irn-bru.ae IRN-BRU Dubai, Middle East – The Feel Phenomenal Soft Drink<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Jeffrey International Group is headed by multi-millionaire business tycoon [[Lord Tasejad Jeffrey of Knightsbridge]]. The Middle Eastern market is a huge potential market for soft drinks due to widespread [[Prohibition]] and it is hoped that Irn-Bru will be an immediate success in this market. The [[Jeffrey International Group]] have a very strong presence in the Middle East and are experienced partners for AG Barr in this region. The Irn-Bru is being bottled locally. A unique home delivery service is also available in the [[UAE]] through Earlybird, a company specialising in home delivery of soft drinks in the region. IRN-BRU is now available in all retail outlets in the UAE. [[Spinneys]], [[Lulu]] and [[Co Operatives]] all stock the product.
===2007 Super Bowl advertisement===
Go Daddy purchased advertising for [[Super Bowl XLI]]. According to CEO Bob Parsons, two ads were rejected by [[CBS]] for content. It was announced on January 29th that the third ad has been approved to air, featuring Ms. Michelle being sprayed with champagne with the [[Orange County Choppers]] crew and [[Indy Racing League|IndyCar]] driver [[Danica Patrick]] in a "marketing department meeting".


===2008 Super Bowl advertisement===
=== Australia ===
{{Future|type=TV advertisement}}
On August 13, 2007 Bob Parsons originally announced that Go Daddy may be sitting out [[Super Bowl XLII]]. "Advertising during the Super Bowl is 'super' expensive. The total cost will exceed 10 million dollars," said Parsons. "There's always the possibility that we might not be able to get an appropriately edgy ad approved. All this considered, there's a strong argument for staying on the sidelines this year and taking that Super Bowl advertising money and using it for other opportunities," he added. [http://www.bobparsons.com/index.php?/archives/149-guid.html] However, on [[January 28]], [[2008]], during a telecast of [[World Wrestling Entertainment]]'s [[WWE RAW|RAW]] program on [[USA Network]] in a reverse of field, it was disclosed by Go Daddy spokesperson (and WWE diva) Candice Michelle that there will be an ad during the game, which featured a "behind the scenes" look into that ad.


In [[Australia]], IRN-BRU is manufactured and distributed under licence by Occasio Australia Pty Ltd<ref>[http://www.occasio.com.au Occasio Australia:: Non Alcoholic Beverages Distributors<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. It is available in 500mL and 1.25L varieties in both regular and diet. The drink is enjoying growing success in the country, with its first advertising campaign launched in Queensland in September 2007. It is available in major chains [[Woolworths]] and [[Coles Supermarkets|Coles]], [[Caltex]] service stations and in many independent grocers and convenience stores.
===Reactions===
Go Daddy's 2007 Super Bowl ad was criticized, in ''[[The New York Times]]'' as being "cheesy";<ref>{{cite news
|title=Super Bowl Ads of Cartoonish Violence, Perhaps Reflecting Toll of War
|last=Elliot
|first=Stuart
|publisher=The New York Times
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/05/business/media/05adcol.html?ei=5087&en=4f83a99d6e414b2d&ex=1186290000&adxnnl=1&mkt=bizphoto&adxnnlx=1170812957-TA7YWpU7KaOUJFLOi9gqgw
|date=February 5, 2007
|accessdate=2007-02-07
|quote=Another Super Bowl, another cheesy commercial for GoDaddy, the Web site registrar operated by the GoDaddy Group. This time, there was a wild party in the office of the GoDaddy marketing department. “Everybody wants to work in marketing,” a character says with a smirk. Hey, GoDaddy, go get Mommy — maybe she knows how to make a halfway decent Super Bowl spot. Agency: created internally.}}</ref> in ''[[The National Review]]'' as "raunchy, '[[Girls Gone Wild|Girls-Gone-Wild]]' style";<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Not-So-Super Ads
|publisher=The National Review
|last=Nimouse (pseudonym)
|first=Anna
|date=February 6, 2007
|accessdate=2007-02-07
|url=http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODYyMGY4OTJkODhiYjczMmUwMzMwNThhZTY2ZjE2Yjk=
|quote=The Go Daddy commercial that garnered enormous reaction (much negative) last year, with the buxom babe wearing a skimpy T-shirt with the logo across her chest, was tame in comparison to the raunchy, “Girls-Gone-Wild” style of this year’s advertisement. The fact that the ad caused such a stir last year probably helped determine the content of this one.}}</ref> and "just sad" by Barbara Lippert in ''[[Adweek]]'', who gave the ad a "D".<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.adweek.com/aw/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003541503
|title=Barbara Lippert's Critique: The Morning After
|last=Lippert
|first=Barbara
|date=February 05, 2007
|accessdate=2007-02-07
|publisher=Adweek}}</ref>


=== New Zealand ===
However, [[Reprise Media]], reviewing the success of Super Bowl advertising in getting potential customers online, listed the 2007 commercial as one of only eight "Touchdown"-worthy ads among the day's high-priced advertisers.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.reprisemedia.com/pdf/RepriseMedia_SearchMarketingScorecard_07.pdf
|publisher=Reprise Media
|title=Search Marketing Scorecard
|accessdate=2007-02-07
|format=PDF}}</ref> IAG Research, which rated the effectiveness of likeability and memorability of the ads, ranked Go Daddy's spot as second for most-recalled.<ref>{{cite press release
|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070207/nyw124.html?.v=83
|title=IAG Research Announces Top Super Bowl Ad
|publisher=IAG Research
|date=February 7, 2007
|accessdate=2007-02-07}}</ref>


In New Zealand Irn-Bru can be found in UK import shops of which there are many. All sizes which are available in Scotland are available in the import shops, including Irn-Bru 32. There is a reasonably large fan base in New Zealand, with Irn-Bru outselling most UK imported products. As of early 2008, Irn-Bru is also available from a limited number of supermarkets who have imported the Australian bottled product.
==Controversies==
===Suspension of Seclists.org===<!-- This section is linked from [[Seclists.org]] -->
On [[January 24]], [[2007]], Go Daddy deactivated the domain of computer security site, Seclists.org, taking 250,000 pages of security content offline.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.com.com/2100-1025-6153607.html?tag=tb
|title=GoDaddy pulls security site after MySpace complaints
|publisher=CNET's News.com
|date=January 25, 2007
|last=McCullagh
|first=Declan}}</ref> The shutdown resulted from a complaint from [[MySpace]] to Go Daddy regarding usernames and passwords posted a week earlier to the full-disclosure mailing list and archived on the Seclists.org site as well as many other websites. Seclists.org administrator Gordon Lyon, who goes by the handle "[[Fyodor (Hacker)|Fyodor]]", provided logs to CNET News.com showing Go Daddy de-activated the domain 52 seconds after leaving him a voicemail, and he had to go to great lengths to get the site reactivated. Go Daddy general counsel Christine Jones stated that Go Daddy's terms of service "reserves the right to terminate your access to the services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever." Lyon has since set up a Web site critical of Go Daddy's handling of the complaint against SecLists, at [http://nodaddy.com NoDaddy.com], which was donated to him by a former customer of the registrar.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/01/godaddy_meet_no.html
|publisher=Wired.com Blog 27B Stroke 6
|last=Singel
|first=Ryan
|coauthors=Kevin Poulsen
|title=GoDaddy, Meet NoDaddy
|date=29 January 2007
|accessdate=2007-02-05
}}</ref>


== Irn-Bru 32 ==
===Deletion of FamilyAlbum.com===
[[Image:Irn-bru 32.jpg|175px|thumb|right|Can of Irn-Bru 32]]
On December 19, 2006 GoDaddy received a third party complaint of invalid domain contact information in the Whois database for the domain FamilyAlbum.com.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070302072828/http://domainnamewire.com/2007/02/27/godaddy-deletes-domain-name-for-inaccurate-email-address/ Domain Name Wire. "GoDaddy Deletes Domain Name for Inaccurate Email Address." February 27, 2007.]</ref> GoDaddy wrote a letter to the owner of FamilyAlbum.com saying "Whenever we receive a complaint, we are required by ICANN regulations to initiate an investigation as to whether the contact data displaying in the Whois database is valid data or not."<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire/> "On 12/19/2006 we sent a notice to you at the admin/tech contact email address and the account email address informing you of invalid data in breach of the domain registration agreement and advising you to update the information or risk cancellation of the domain. The contact information was not updated within the specified period of time and we canceled the domain," GoDaddy added.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire/> The editor of "Domain Name Wire" said that since domain names are valuable, it was reasonable to expect that the registrar would try to contact the domain owner by phone or postal mail.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire/> On February 28, 2007 GoDaddy offered to get the domain name back for the previous owner if he would indemnify GoDaddy from legal action by the new registrant.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire2>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070302072506/domainnamewire.com/2007/02/28/godaddy-responds-to-deletion-over-invalid-email-address/ Domain Name Wire. "GoDaddy Responds to Deletion Over Invalid Email Address." February 28, 2007.]</ref> GoDaddy stated that the new owner paid $18.99 for the domain, the price of a backorder, not a regular registration.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire2/>


'''Irn-Bru 32''' is a brand extension to the Irn-Bru range, and is the first time Barr themselves have marketed an Irn-Bru variation in the [[energy drink|functional energy]] market. Whilst ''Iron-brew'' flavoured energy drinks have been available for a while, either in non-alcoholic or alcoholic variations, these beverages have usually been at the value end of the marketing spectrum usually coming in litre bottles. On the other hand, '''Irn-Bru 32''' will be marketed at the top end of the category against other energy drinks such as [[Red Bull]], [[V (drink)|V]] and [[Red Devil (energy drink)|Red Devil]]. Its name is claimed to come from the 32 [[secret ingredient]]s of Irn-Bru.<ref>[http://www.theherald.co.uk/business/56377.html Barr aims high with ‘mental’ energy drink.] The Herald, [[17 February]] [[2006]].</ref> although this could also be explained by the fact that the drink contains caffeine in the concentration 32 mg/100 ml.
On November 2, 2007, Domain Name Wire reported that it appears that GoDaddy no longer cancels domains for invalid whois.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire11022007/> The editor on Domain Name Wire received a message from a reader who is trying to acquire a domain with obviously false whois information.<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire11022007/> The message from GoDaddy said "The domain has been suspended due to invalid Whois. The domain will remain in suspension through expiration, including the registry’s redemption period, unless the owner updates the contact information before that time."<ref name=PCOLDomainnamewire11022007>[http://domainnamewire.com/2007/11/02/has-godaddy-done-a-180-on-invalid-whois/ Domain Name Wire. "Has GoDaddy Done a 180 on Invalid Whois?" November 2, 2007.]</ref>


==Sponsorship==
===Shutdown of Chinese dissidents' sites===
Irn-Bru is the long-term sponsor of [[Scottish Football League Second Division|Scottish Second Division]] [[Football (soccer)|football]] team [[Queen's Park F.C.]], and the club's supporters call themselves the Irn-Bru Firm. Irn Bru is the official sports drink of the Scottish Curling Team. The brand also sponsors the World Burns Club and The Robert Burns World Federation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldburnsclub.com/newsletter/0401/corporate_sponsor.htm|title=Corporate Sponsor|publisher=worldburnsclub.com}}</ref> A thrill ride at [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach]], the ''[[Irn Bru Revolution|Irn-Bru Revolution]]'', also bears the name of the drink.


On [[July 20]] [[2007]], Irn-Bru was announced as the new main sponsor of the [[Scottish Football League]], in a deal worth over £3 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/news.cfm?curpageid=945&newsid=2198|title=IRN-BRU Kicks off a New Season with The Scottish Football League|publisher=scottishfootballleague.com|accessdate=August 16|accessyear=2008}}</ref>
In 2007, several websites critical of the [[human rights]] abuses in [[People's Republic of China]] were shut down by Go Daddy, possibly under the pressure of the PRC government. Go Daddy denied any political involvement in the shutdown.<ref>http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23349</ref><ref>http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/7/8/20/n1807940.htm</ref>


In [[Poland]] singing sensation [[Dorota Rabczewska]] is the face of Irn Bru.{{fact|date=August 2008}}
==Cancelled initial public offering==
On April 12, 2006, Marketwatch reported that Go Daddy Group Inc., had hired Lehman Brothers to manage an initial stock offering that could raise more than $100 million and value the company at several times that amount.[http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7BBE70F068%2D321F%2D4777%2D8640%2DECAACDBA077D%7D&dist=WSJfeed&siteid=WSJ] On [[May 17]], [[2006]] Go Daddy filed an S-1 registration statement prior to an initial public offering.<ref>[http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/0517gr-godaddy0517Z12.html Go Daddy makes name for itself growing in Gilbert, going public]</ref> On [[August 8]], [[2006]] [[Bob Parsons]], CEO of Go Daddy, announced that after some serious consideration, Go Daddy was not going to go public and that he had withdrawn the company's [[IPO]] filing.<ref>http://www.bobparsons.com/WhyIPOPulled.html</ref>


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
* Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food (1999), "Irn-Bru", p. 407.
<references/>
{{reflist|2}}
</div>


==See also==
== External links ==
{{commonscat|Irn-Bru}}
*[[List of Domain Registrars]]
* [http://www.irn-bru.co.uk/ Official Irn-Bru web site]
*[[Domain Name]]
* [http://www.agbarr.co.uk/agbarr/agb_invest.nsf/pdf/AF0CAB4DB8226980802569AB005E0CAD/$FILE/AG_Barr_Info_Pack.pdf] Barr Corporate Information Pack
*[[Bob Parsons]]
* [http://www.irnbru.net/ Irn-Bru in Florida]
*[[Life Online with Bob Parsons]]
* [http://www.irn-bruaustralia.com/ Irn-Bru in Australia web site]
*[[Domains by Proxy]]
* [http://www.irn-bru-usa.com/ Irn-Bru in the US web site]
*[[Candice Michelle]]
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=519669 Irn-Bru] at [[everything2]]
*[[Danica Patrick]]
*[http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/adv_comp/a14/a14.pdf A14 Advertising Report]
*[http://www.strykowski.net/realizacje/irnbru/irnbru.php Irn-Bru gallery]
*[http://www.wakeywakey.tv Irn-Bru 32 promotional site]
*[http://www.oh-yeah.co.uk Diet Irn-Bru promotional site]
*http://www.irn-bru.ae/ Irn-Bru site for the Middle East
*http://www.jeffrey-group.com/ Official Distributor for territory site
*http://www.earlybird.ae/ Site for Home Delivery service in UAE


{{Citrus sodas}}
==External links==
*[http://www.godaddy.com Go Daddy website]
*[http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=7FB7324E-DB94-492A-8261-6745067459FC Go Daddy slams US on domain privacy]
*[http://www.bobparsons.com/index.html Blog by CEO & Founder of GoDaddy.com Bob Parsons]
*[http://www.nodaddy.com Nodaddy.com - Read customer reviews before signing up with this registrar]


[[Category:Soft drinks]]
{{WebManTools}}
[[Category:Go Daddy| ]]
[[Category:Scottish cuisine]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1997]]
[[Category:Scottish brands]]
[[Category:Companies based in Scottsdale, Arizona]]
[[Category:Carbonated drinks]]
[[Category:Certificate authorities]]


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Revision as of 21:51, 11 October 2008

Irn-Bru
The official Irn-Bru logo
TypeCarbonated soft drink
ManufacturerA.G. Barr plc
Country of origin Scotland Scotland
Introduced1901
ColourOrange
VariantsDiet Irn-Bru
Irn-Bru 32
Irn-Bru Chew Bar
Related productsCoca-Cola
Pepsi
Fanta
Kinnie
Websiteirn-bru.co.uk Edit this on Wikidata

Irn-Bru (pronounced iron brew, /ˈaɪɚn ˈbruː/) is a popular carbonated soft drink produced in Scotland. It is made by A.G. Barr plc, of Cumbernauld. Barr's Irn-Bru is available in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, Malta, Russia, Canada, Norway, South Africa, Singapore, parts of Europe such as Poland, the Middle East, in some parts of Australia (introduced in 2006), New Zealand (introduced in 2007) and in the United States.

Overview

Irn-Bru is famous for its bright orange colour (something it shares with the glucose drink Lucozade). As of 1999 it contained 0.002% of ammonium ferric citrate, sugar, 32 flavouring agents (including caffeine—though caffeine is not listed as an ingredient on the Australian labelling—and quinine) and two controversial colourings (E110, E124). It is advertised as having a slight citrus flavour, but many have differing opinions of the exact taste of Irn-Bru. One of the key ingredients is said to be barley while another rumour holds that seaweed is a major contributor to the taste[citation needed].

Irn-Bru was first produced in 1901, under the name Strachan's brew. In 1946, a change in laws required that the word "brew" be removed from the name, as the drink is not technically brewed. The chairman of the company came up with the idea of changing both halves of the name to a phonetic spelling, giving the current Irn-Bru brand. 1980 saw the introduction of Low Calorie Irn-Bru; this was re-launched in 1991 as Diet Irn-Bru and the Irn-Bru 32 energy drink variant was launched in 2006. All the rumour and folklore surrounding Irn-Bru only serve to help keep it in its place as an icon of Scottish popular culture.

It has long been the most popular soft drink in Scotland, outselling Coca-Cola, but recent fierce competition between the two brands has brought their sales to roughly equal levels (perhaps leaning to Coca-Cola).[1] It is also the third best selling soft drink in the UK, after Coca-Cola and Pepsi, outselling high-profile brands such as Fanta, Dr Pepper, Sprite and 7-Up. This success in defending its home market (a feat claimed only by Irn-Bru, Brazil's Guaraná, South Australia's Farmers Union Iced Coffee, Peru's Inca Kola, Malta's Kinnie and Sweden's Julmust) has led to ongoing speculation that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Inc. or its UK brand franchisee Britvic would attempt to buy A.G. Barr

Irn-Bru's advertising slogans used to be "Scotland's other National Drink", referring to whisky, and "Bru'd in Scotland from girders", though the closest one can come to substantiating this claim is the 0.002% ammonium ferric citrate listed in the ingredients.

Packaging

Irn-Bru and other Barr brands including Pineappleade, Cream Soda, Tizer, Red Kola, Barr Cola, and Limeade are still available in environmentally-friendly, 750ml reusable glass bottles. The empty bottles can be returned to the manufacturer via any retailer which sells them, and can usually be exchanged for the deposit (30 pence deposit[2] RRP 95p - July'09). In areas of Scotland these are known as "Gless Cheques", "Gingies", "hectors", "jiggy bottles", "jangl'rs", "Rammies" or "Glaise Boattles".

Irn Bru
2L Bottle of Diet Irn-Bru

Irn-Bru and Diet Irn-Bru are available in the following sizes:

  • 150ml can
  • 250ml plastic bottle
  • 330ml can
  • 500ml plastic bottle
  • 600ml plastic bottle (Russia)
  • 1L plastic bottle
  • 1.25L bottle (Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland)
  • 2L plastic bottle
  • 3L plastic bottle
  • 355ml glass bottle (in Canada)
  • 750ml glass bottle

For restaurants and cafeterias, Irn-Bru syrup is available in 5 litre containers.

In May 2007, Irn-Bru underwent a re-design of its bottles and cans.

Marketing

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Advertising Campaigns

Irn-Bru's advertising campaigns have always been very different from those of other commercial soft drinks. Until recently, most were variants on the "Made in Scotland from girders" tagline, usually featuring Irn-Bru drinkers becoming unusually strong, durable, or magnetic.

One series of adverts involved a man singing a song about his girlfriend who enjoyed Irn-Bru and, as such, was much more masculine than he was. The songs included lines such as "Do you remember that guy who called me a wimp? The Doc says he'll walk but he'll still have a limp." and "They say that love hurts but that's an understatement, with you love makes me turn black and blue. Got a funny feeling you've been drinking Iron Brew."

The last two television advertisements based on this slogan were parodies of more "typical" soft drink adverts. One featured a Coca-Cola style montage of happy Irn-Bru drinkers against a feelgood ballad. The other pastiched Pepsi's use of pop singers in their adverts with a fictional heavy metal band. Since the 1990s, different approaches have been used.

Perhaps the best-remembered are the long running series of television and billboard adverts in black-and-white, including the billboard with the grim reaper saying "Don't be scared. You'll still get Irn-Bru on the other side." and the supposed-advert for a cleaning product called "Jef", which consists of a small boy, the actor Murray Alford, in a box, who sucks Irn-Bru stains out of clothes.

Advertising

A popular advertising campaign launched in 2000 featured eccentric characters and situations. One involved a grandfather (played by actor Robert Wilson) who removed his false teeth to spoil his grandson's interest in his can of Irn-Bru. Another TV advert from this campaign evokes 1950s entertainment. The mother plays the piano, while the father and two children deliver a song which ends with the mother singing: "Even though I used to be a man." This advertisement originally aired in 2000, but when it was re-aired in 2003, it received seventeen complaints[3] from people who claimed it was offensive to transsexuals. Issue A14 of the Ofcom Advertising Complaints bulletin reports that the children's response to their mother's claim was not in fact offensive. The advertisement was meant to be a joke about changing points of view over time. However, the scene involving the mother shaving at the end of the advertisement was deemed to be potentially offensive to transsexuals, and so it was taken off the air. A further TV advertisement featured a senior citizen in a motorised wheelchair robbing a local shopping market of a supply of Irn-Bru.And there is the advert "WALKING IN THE AIR" with a snowman.

Over The Years

Over the years, advertising campaigns for Irn-Bru have caused upset. One billboard featured a young woman in a bikini along with the slogan, "I never knew four-and-a-half inches could give so much pleasure". Another featured a picture of a cow with the slogan "When I'm a burger, I want to be washed down with Irn-Bru". This billboard received over 700 complaints but was cleared by advertisement watchdogs.[4] A billboard which featured a depressed goth and the slogan "Cheer up Goth. Have an Irn Bru." was also criticised for inciting bullying.[5]

Irn Bru 32 Advertising

The Irn-Bru 32 (the recent energy drink addition to the Irn - Bru family) advertisement, featuring a stereotypical Glasgow "hardman" dressed as a giant cuckoo in a library was also criticised, with Strathclyde Police appealing for it to be banned for being too aggressive. In answer to these complaints, a tongue-in-cheek redubbed version of the advert, with the cuckoo speaking in a polite Estuary English accent was aired for a short period of time, eventually being replaced by the original. The ad was cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority. [1]

The current marketing campaign for Irn-Bru is known as the "Phenomenal" campaign, and uses the tune from Piero Umiliani's "Mah Nà Mah Nà," substituting "phenomenal" for the title lyric. Diet Irn-Bru's advertising campaign is currently "Oh Yeah", featuring a hapless lothario called "Raoul" and featuring the song "Oh Yeah" by Yello.

2006 Advertising

The Christmas 2006 advertising campaign is a parody of the Walking in the Air sequence from The Snowman, featuring the snowman and a boy flying around Scotland. The lyrics to Walking in the Air have been changed to humorous effect.[2]

Irn-Bru have started a marketing campaign aimed at their main target area, Scotland. Prior to the 2006 world cup, Irn-Bru recruited Trinidad and Tobago player, Jason Scotland, to be the face of the product during the world cup period.

An early (and long running) advertising campaign was "The Adventures of Ba-Bru and Sandy" comic. A neon sign featuring Ba-Bru stood outside Glasgow Central railway station for many years, and was only removed in the late 1980s.

Recent Adverts

More recently, there has been a TV commercial, which features four goths who, after drinking Irn-Bru, become happy and go on a seaside trip to Blackpool. It also features them on the Irn-Bru Revolution rollercoaster. The commercial also featured The Undertones song 'Here Comes The Summer' as the background music.

May 2008

In May 2008 a new advert was made based on the poem If... by Rudyard Kipling. With the voice of the actor Martin Compston the idea of the advert is to capture the essence of Scotland.

Brand portfolio

Name Launched Discontinued Notes Picture
Irn Bru 32 2006[citation needed]
Diet Irn Bru 1991
Irn Bru 1901

Cultural influence

Irn-Bru is widely reputed to be an excellent cure for hangovers. This claim has some foundation in truth—all caffeinated drinks will soothe headaches to an extent, and sugary drinks will replace lost fluids and sugars.

Detective Inspector John Rebus, the main character in Ian Rankin's Rebus series, is often described buying an Irn-Bru for its hangover benefits after one of his all-too-frequent binges.

Irn Bru & Others

It is often used as a mixer with alcoholic beverages—mainly vodka and whisky. Indeed, the popular British alcopop WKD was originally launched as an alcoholic equivalent of Irn-Bru. Barr retaliated by launching a drink combining Irn-Bru and Bell's whisky, though this proved to be unpopular and was quickly discontinued. A later attempt came in the form of an official Irn-Bru flavour in the Red Square line-up of vodka-based drinks; this too has been discontinued. There is now an official Irn-Bru WKD flavour.

Restaurants

When McDonald's restaurants first opened for trading in Glasgow they did not serve Irn-Bru. This was seen as an insult by some Scots, and a campaign to correct this oversight was launched. After many of their restaurants were picketed, McDonald's relented and began to stock Irn-Bru alongside their other soft drinks.

Popular Countries

There is an urban legend, often heard in Scotland when discussing the drink, that states variously that Irn-Bru is more popular in Russia than it is in Scotland, or that it is more popular than Coca-Cola in Russia. Barr's first venture in Russia, with a Russian company backed by American venture capitalists, failed in August 2001. A second attempt at cracking the Russian market began in June 2002, backed by the Pepsi Bottling Group of Russia. Robin Barr, AG Barr chairman, said of the legend "Maybe I could sit here and hope that it [was more popular than Coke], but Coke was introduced into the Russian marketplace shortly after 1990, so they've been in business for some 12 years now, whereas we only started franchising Irn-Bru in Russia towards the end of 1998."[6]

Museums

In the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh there are a range of exhibits, selected by celebrities - Sean Connery chose a crate of Irn Bru.

Bands & Irn Bru

Scottish rock band The Fratellis featured a play on Irn Bru's logo as one of their T shirt designs in their 2008 tour. The band also brought Irn Bru with them to drink during performances.

Exports and foreign markets

File:RussianIrnBru.jpg
Russian Irn-Bru

Irn-Bru is currently manufactured in five factories in Russia, and is also manufactured under licence in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and since May 2008 in Norway. Bru and various other Barr products are exported to Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, and Cyprus, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. It is available sporadically in Ireland[citation needed],Malta, Belgium and, as of 2005, in Poland.

USA

The legal status of Irn-Bru in the United States is unclear. Several American companies import Irn-Bru; yet, it is currently listed as a banned substance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA website[7] lists Irn-Bru and Diet Irn-Bru as containing the banned carcinogenic colouring Ponceau 4R(E124 which is banned from the U.S.), and Sunset Yellow FCF, which the FDA has to approve on a per-batch basis.[8] One importer, Irn-Bru usa.[9], modifies the drink to conform to FDA requirements.

The Foxon Park company[10] in East Haven, Connecticut has made a dark-brown soft drink called "Iron Brew" for many decades. It seems likely that this product is named for the Scottish original, but the flavour is unrelated.

Sunset Yellow FCF is banned in Finland, although Irn-Bru can still be purchased in certain Finnish shops specialising in imported goods.

Canada

Irn-Bru sold in Canada contains no caffeine, as until recently only dark coloured drinks were permitted to contain caffeine[11]. As a result of this and the omission of quinine the taste is noticeably different, and the restorative effect is almost nil. It is also produced under licence, without caffeine, in Australia.

The now-defunct McKinley/McInlay soft-drink company in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada for many years offered its own non-licensed beverage called "Iron Brew". It was a brown carbonated soft-drink with a fruity cola taste. After the company stopped operations ca. 1990, PepsiCo continued to sell the drink locally as "Cape Breton's I'rn Bru". The packaging consisted of plainly labelled plastic bottles (black text on a featureless while label) and a disclaimer "Not a source of Iron". As of 2006 this product seems to be very difficult to find, even locally, and may have been phased-out.

The product has been licensed to be made in Spain, where the colour of the can is brighter.

Barr.plc

A.G. Barr has launched its Irn-Bru product throughout the Middle East. The Jeffrey International Group have been appointed as the distribution and marketing partner[12]. Jeffrey International Group is headed by multi-millionaire business tycoon Lord Tasejad Jeffrey of Knightsbridge. The Middle Eastern market is a huge potential market for soft drinks due to widespread Prohibition and it is hoped that Irn-Bru will be an immediate success in this market. The Jeffrey International Group have a very strong presence in the Middle East and are experienced partners for AG Barr in this region. The Irn-Bru is being bottled locally. A unique home delivery service is also available in the UAE through Earlybird, a company specialising in home delivery of soft drinks in the region. IRN-BRU is now available in all retail outlets in the UAE. Spinneys, Lulu and Co Operatives all stock the product.

Australia

In Australia, IRN-BRU is manufactured and distributed under licence by Occasio Australia Pty Ltd[13]. It is available in 500mL and 1.25L varieties in both regular and diet. The drink is enjoying growing success in the country, with its first advertising campaign launched in Queensland in September 2007. It is available in major chains Woolworths and Coles, Caltex service stations and in many independent grocers and convenience stores.

New Zealand

In New Zealand Irn-Bru can be found in UK import shops of which there are many. All sizes which are available in Scotland are available in the import shops, including Irn-Bru 32. There is a reasonably large fan base in New Zealand, with Irn-Bru outselling most UK imported products. As of early 2008, Irn-Bru is also available from a limited number of supermarkets who have imported the Australian bottled product.

Irn-Bru 32

File:Irn-bru 32.jpg
Can of Irn-Bru 32

Irn-Bru 32 is a brand extension to the Irn-Bru range, and is the first time Barr themselves have marketed an Irn-Bru variation in the functional energy market. Whilst Iron-brew flavoured energy drinks have been available for a while, either in non-alcoholic or alcoholic variations, these beverages have usually been at the value end of the marketing spectrum usually coming in litre bottles. On the other hand, Irn-Bru 32 will be marketed at the top end of the category against other energy drinks such as Red Bull, V and Red Devil. Its name is claimed to come from the 32 secret ingredients of Irn-Bru.[14] although this could also be explained by the fact that the drink contains caffeine in the concentration 32 mg/100 ml.

Sponsorship

Irn-Bru is the long-term sponsor of Scottish Second Division football team Queen's Park F.C., and the club's supporters call themselves the Irn-Bru Firm. Irn Bru is the official sports drink of the Scottish Curling Team. The brand also sponsors the World Burns Club and The Robert Burns World Federation.[15] A thrill ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the Irn-Bru Revolution, also bears the name of the drink.

On July 20 2007, Irn-Bru was announced as the new main sponsor of the Scottish Football League, in a deal worth over £3 million.[16]

In Poland singing sensation Dorota Rabczewska is the face of Irn Bru.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "Coke takes sparkle from Irn-Bru". The Scotsman, 30 September 2003.
  2. ^ "bottle deposit increase for Barrs"
  3. ^ Ofcom response to complaints about Leith Agency advert for Irn-Bru, July 2004.
  4. ^ Statistics: 1998 Complaints Resolved (Public and industry)
  5. ^ BBC NEWS | Scotland | Irn Bru ad leaves bad taste
  6. ^ Caps off to Irn-Bru for Russian revelation The Edinburgh Evening News, 17 June 2002.
  7. ^ IMPORT ALERT IA4502
  8. ^ http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/cp09006.html
  9. ^ Irn Bru USA
  10. ^ Foxon Park Beverages
  11. ^ KishCom » Blog Archive » We’re all killing ourselves
  12. ^ IRN-BRU Dubai, Middle East – The Feel Phenomenal Soft Drink
  13. ^ Occasio Australia:: Non Alcoholic Beverages Distributors
  14. ^ Barr aims high with ‘mental’ energy drink. The Herald, 17 February 2006.
  15. ^ "Corporate Sponsor". worldburnsclub.com.
  16. ^ "IRN-BRU Kicks off a New Season with The Scottish Football League". scottishfootballleague.com. Retrieved August 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  • Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food (1999), "Irn-Bru", p. 407.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Irn-Bru.
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