IRN-BRU Kicks off Explosive Taste Debate with Campaign from the Leith Agency

IRN-BRU kicks off its 2023 Taste Debate with a film parody campaign by the Leith Agency and a refreshed media strategy from the7stars

Now in its third year, IRN-BRU’s popular Taste Debate returns with ‘WIRE’, a short film that comically explores the ambiguity of IRN-BRU’s taste. The new campaign see’s Scotland’s most loved soft drink move away from linear TV, to connect with Scotland’s Gen Z audiences across all major BVOD platforms, Netflix, Cinema, and Twitch, in an integrated video-led media strategy planned by the7stars and running until the 30th April.

In ‘WIRE’, we find two American cops frantically trying to defuse a ticking-time bomb - but which wire to cut? “It’s the one that’s the same colour as IRN-BRU with all its Bubble gummy flavour”, states the police chief to her partner. The bomb disposal technician pauses, cutters poised, before he counters “you mean its Tutti Frutti flavour?” Hilariously this sparks a dispute over the specific taste of IRN-BRU, distracting both officers from the pressing task at hand. In the midst of their disagreement we hear a loud bang, and the ad closes with two flaming cans of IRN-BRU and the endline: “LET’S JUST AGREE IT TASTES BANGIN’”.

For the third iteration of Leith’s taste debate, the7stars has also planned media across key Gen Z focused social channels including TikTok and Snap.

Adrian Troy, marketing director at AG Barr says: “IRN-BRU’s unique flavour has kept our fans talking since the beginning.  Bringing the taste debate to life through various different film genres has been great fun. The ‘Wire’ superbly catches the age-old question in the midst of a high-octane action thriller, with quite dire, quite hilarious consequences for the passionate protagonists.” 

Ben Richardson, AV Lead at the7stars said: “Leith’s creative really lends itself to the cinematic experience and Netflix is also new to the plan this year. Both the creative and media execution is tailored to the humour and media habits of Scotland’s youth audiences, and we can’t wait to see the results.”

Owain Cowx, account director, Leith commented: “In the first year, we took the taste debate to the Wild West triggering an all-out saloon brawl. Last year’s film parodies saw Scotland’s favourite soft drink taken to the Teen Romance and Gangster Crime film genres. This year with WIRE, we went all in with a fast action crime thriller – with lethal consequences!  All film parodies demonstrate that the taste of IRN-BRU is still as illusive in the fictional world as it is in reality – so let’s just agree it tastes bangin’!”