Irn Bru is as synonymous with Scotland as Nessie, whisky and shortbread. It has been around since 1901 and is known for its funny and sometimes controversial adverts. Here we take a look at Irn Bru through the years, from its original name to becoming Irn Bru on 18 July 1946 and gearing Scotland up for the 2024 Euros.
5. Advertising of the past
While the brand is known for its adverts, they had been quite simple. Here is Renfield Street in Glasgow, showing the Barr's Irn-Bru lights in March 1984. Photo: TSPL
6. Controversial adverts
Now Irn Bru has been behind some controversial adverts, including one with a picture of a cow and a quote that reads: “when I’m a burger I want to be washed down with Irn Bru”. This ad attracted a record amount of complaints at the time. Photo: Irn Bru
7. Sugar tax and recipe outcry
In 2018 Irn Bru changed their recipe to reduce the amount of sugar in it, thanks to the introduction of sugar tax. This led to campaigns to protect 'real' Irn Bru, fans stockpiling the original recipe cans, which were routinely selling for over £5 Photo: John Devlin
8. 1901 introduction
Due to this outcry, the business brought out Irn Bru 1901 in late 2019. Originally a limited edition release based on its 1901 “old and unimproved” recipe, it was so popular that it’s now available permanently. Photo: Irn Bru