Brewdog launches 'beer for girls' in pink bottles – but not everyone gets the joke
Social media users have attacked the 'lazy' marketing stunt.
This is not ‘beer for girls’. This is beer for equality.
— BrewDog (@BrewDog) March 6, 2018
Pink IPA has landed.https://t.co/MRWnqaADXg pic.twitter.com/J9Kk4khk1h
A Scottish brewery has been attacked on social media for its "condescending" campaign aimed at tackling gender inequality.
Brewdog, an Aberdeen-based craft beer producer, has launched a pink, female-friendly version of its beer called Pink IPA, a play on its most popular product, Punk IPA. The company says it will will donate 20% of its proceeds to women's charities.
"This is not 'beer for girls'. This is beer for equality", the campaign says.
On their website, Brewdog says the aim of their "satirical" campaign is to expose sexist marketing and double-standards in advertising.
"At BrewDog, we have always believed that beer is for everyone, and equality is a fundamental right," they said.
"So today we are launching a clarion call to end the discrimination of gender pay inequality. In the UK men earn on average 20% more than women. And that's not ok.
"So ahead of International Women's Day this Thursday, we are launching Pink IPA. A beer for women. A beer for equality."
The company says that those who identify as women will be offered 20% off in their bars on International Women's Day to protest against global gender pay disparity.
"The gender pay gap is one issue to which we are taking aim with Pink IPA. But we have a second problem that also warrants action. It beggars belief that in 2018 we are still seeing some breweries rely on sexist marketing to sell their beers."
They added: "Lazily targeting the female market with sub-par products designed by expensive research are inherently patronising. Depicting women in wholly unacceptable ways on labels is something we do not condone, and creating concepts that undermine women's ability to enjoy beer (ANY beer) is both short sighted and restricts progression."
Some social media users, especially women, have failed to see the funny side - and have accused the company of 'laziness' and claimed the messaging was 'confused'.
That brew dog pink ipa does have good intentions behind it but the execution is so poor
— Sam (@TrueZero_) March 6, 2018
also a quote from the article - 'Lazily targeting the female market with sub-par products designed by expensive research are inherently patronising. ' you realise this is pretty much what you are doing.
— Georgina Breeze (@georgina_breeze) March 6, 2018
Pink IPA from @BrewDog is "a send up of the lazy marketing efforts targeting the female market" - but also looks just the same as those lazy efforts https://t.co/7boJ0a3oX0
— Louise Ridley (@LouiseRidley) March 6, 2018
Things women haven't asked for:
— Claire Stevens (@bookblogbird) March 6, 2018
Pink IPA
Crunch-free Doritos
A female Colonel Sanders
Rohypnol-detecting nail varnish
Things we have asked for:
No sexual harassment, thanks
Ditto for raping
Equal pay
Cadbury's Creme Eggs all year round (that last one might just be me, though) https://t.co/lFx25zIkaD
Pink IPA, not a 'beer for girls', a beer for equality.
— Jenni Harrison (@jenni_harri) March 6, 2018
As a nod to a universal gender wage gap: 20% of proceeds go to charities that support women and fight inequality, 20% off this beer at Brew Dog bars for women and a campaign that mocks patronising gendered marketing. Genius. https://t.co/cImAvdiJb4
We’ve created a beer for girls. And it’s pink. Because women only like pink and glitter, right?
— BrewDog (@BrewDog) March 6, 2018
🤦â€â™€ï¸ #Sarcasm
Lets show that enough is enough with stereotypes. pic.twitter.com/g1zonXFInm
Brewdog is no stranger to making controversial political statements. In 2014, the company launched a beer named 'Hello my name is Vladimr' to oppose anti-LGBT laws in Russia.
The company said it would donate the 50% of the sales of the beer to charities that "represent oppressed minorities around the world".
