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Irn-Bru

Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2003

    Controversial advertising executions

    Several advertisements generated complaints, including a childbirth commercial, a bikini billboard, a cow-themed billboard and a poster involving a goth. The advertising regulator cleared some executions, while the broader controversy highlighted the risks of Irn-Bru’s deliberately provocative humour.

  2. 2000

    Transgender-stereotype advertisement complaint

    A television advertisement featuring a family song ending with the mother saying she had once been a man was criticised after a later broadcast. Ofcom found the shaving scene capable of causing offence by reinforcing negative stereotypes, and the advertisement was removed.