Ever since the World Cup was first announced in Qatar, a lot of people have been talking about the human rights issues that have been associated with it (lots of migrant workers dying and being paid peanuts to build stadiums, LGBTQ+ facing imprisonment and execution if they head over there) and the corruption that was no doubt integral in their winning bid to host it, but it’s really been ramped up in the last couple of weeks in the run up to the tournament.
Featured Image VIA
A lot of football pundits like Neville and Carragher have been very vocal about some of these problems, but most brands have been strangely quiet on the matter. Thankfully though, Brewdog are now here to highlight all the problems with holding the tournament in the region – whilst also profiting massively from their association with it of course. More on that later.
Here’s the start of the campaign:
We’re donating all profits made from Lost Lager sold during the World Cup to causes fighting human rights abuses. pic.twitter.com/5OTA9Gn71G
— BrewDog (@BrewDog) November 7, 2022
What an incredible reaction to our world cup campaign.
And if a bit of the usual twitter hate is the price we have to pay for massively raising awareness of the continued human rights abuses in Qatar and the obvious corruption of FIFA, then so be it. pic.twitter.com/9psneVmkKe
— James Watt (@BrewDogJames) November 7, 2022
— James Watt (@BrewDogJames) November 7, 2022
Looks pretty good right? I suppose we should start this ‘analysis’ by saying that it is pretty cool that Brewdog are boycotting the tournament – but still showing it – and donating money to causes fighting human rights abuses. Although in reality, there’s probably no way to know whether they’re actually donating all the profit from Lost Lager to that or not.
It’s essentially a good idea though, sure – they still are highlighting human rights abuses and that probably deserves some praise. I don’t think it’s that bad that they’re still showing the games and the fact that they’re saying they’re gonna donate some money from beer sales doing it sounds fairly legit to me.
Loads of people are kicking off on Twitter about it though obviously, and it does sound less appealing when you read that Lost Lager is about 1% of their sales and has a really low profit margin, but still it’s something. Nobody else is doing anything so you kinda gotta give them that.
Image VIA
What does really rankle me though is that Brewdog is historically a terrible company in relation to their staff and it’s well documented that James Watt himself created a culture of fear and a highly toxic workplace. I know that’s not exactly on the same level as the human rights and worker abuses in Qatar, but it’s the same sort of principle isn’t it?
Even funnier than this is that someone on Twitter also managed to uncover that Brewdog apparently signed a deal with Qatari hotels just three months ago to supply their beer during the World Cup. Hardly the anti-sponsor now is it if they’re actively pedalling their own products over there, just at the time where the population is going to be doubled and probably desperately looking for alcohol wherever they can get their hands on it? Especially if it’s those delicious Brewdog IPAs, right? Hmmmm.
Hey @BrewDog u seem to have gone quiet all of a sudden since your ambush marketing faux protest virtue signalling got called out.
Quick reminder though, here’s your big promotion in Qatar right after you signed the deal with the government-owned distributor…in time for the WC! pic.twitter.com/Swha0tq2XN
— Rick O’Shea (@FleetStSnitch) November 7, 2022
Finally, there are these historic tweets where Brewdog proudly markets itself as a pub that boycotts even showing football because they don’t want to attract ‘that kind of audience’. I get that companies can change their ideals, but this seems almost like it was one of their fundamental founding principles and is just further evidence of what a shitty hypocritical company that they are in the first place.
This your company, aye? pic.twitter.com/eQ14EAAG9i
— Alex Marr (@alexmarr98) November 7, 2022
Specifically and bitterly recall this cos we were looking for somewhere to watch the Milan v Barcelona Champions League Quarter Final First Leg, and sup a cold frothy IPA, before we played at the nearby Liquid Room 😡
— Los Campesinos! (@LosCampesinos) November 7, 2022
We’re serving up some kick-ass burgers, epic beers and the least coverage of Euro 2016 possible. #brewdog #footballfreezone
— BrewDog Glasgow (@BrewDogGlasgow) June 14, 2016
Wah wah wah from me I guess. It’s still cool that someone is doing something like this, just sucks that it’s Brewdog and there’s already so much wrong with them as a company. Hopefully some other people are waiting in the wings to do something similar and take all the glory away from them. And hopefully people don’t lap this up and take a look a the more deep seated problems within Brewdog as well.
For more of the same, check out this story about James Watt getting conned out of £100,000 by his ex girlfriend who he hired to take down some relentless Twitter trolls. That’s a pretty funny story.
