Always Love Bru
In Scotland, we hold our national drink, Irn Bru, in legendary regard. When, in 2017, the recipe was changed to reduce its sugar content due to the "sugar tax," the nation was collectively outraged. As someone who shares this fierce pride and loyalty, I saw an opportunity for my brand, Abandon Ship, to channel that passion into something creative and memorable.
The idea was simple: I launched a T-shirt emblazoned with a heart and scroll reading "I’ll Always Love Bru," styled in Irn Bru’s iconic orange and blue. The T-shirt was sold as a preorder with all profits dedicated to buying and stockpiling original-recipe Irn Bru before the change came into effect. The response was immediate and overwhelming—so much so that we sold enough T-shirts to fill our company van with cans of the beloved drink.
We documented the entire process on our social platforms, generating immense engagement. I even created an "Irn Throne" out of cans as a nod to Game of Thrones, which was hugely popular at the time. The campaign took off, with high-profile fans like Biffy Clyro proudly wearing the T-shirt, and even inspiring a few tattoos based on the artwork. Best of all? I secured a stockpile of my favourite drink! The campaign was a massive success, not only boosting engagement and sales but also cementing a deeper connection with our Scottish audience.
Fast forward two years, and I still had over 400 cans in my stash, with their best-before date looming. That’s when I decided to evolve the campaign into something even bigger, tying it into the openings of the first Abandon Ship Bar and a new Abandon Ship store in Dundee. By then, the original-recipe cans had become highly sought after, with some selling for £6 each (a 600% markup!). I decided to give them a proper send-off—a “Brueneral” (Irn Bru funeral)—to celebrate the end of an era while bringing attention to our new venues.
To bring the concept to life, I went all out. I sourced a slightly damaged, unusable coffin from a funeral directors in Perth and designed it with custom Abandon Ship and Irn Bru-inspired artwork. I created a sticker and pin pack for £10, which came with a complimentary can of original-recipe Irn Bru. Each event—one at the new store and another at the bar—had 100 cans to give away, and both sold out instantly, with queues out the door.
The bar event featured Irn Bru-themed cocktails and sticky Irn Bru chicken wings, while the coffin filled with cans and adorned with orange and blue flowers provided customers with the chance to say a heartfelt farewell to their favourite drink.
What began as a simple T-shirt design evolved into a two-year campaign that generated profit, drew press attention, and strengthened ties with our Scottish community. It remains one of the most fun and rewarding projects I’ve ever undertaken. And the best part? I still have eight cans squirreled away for a rainy day.
