BrewDog Cancels Scofflaw Brewing Events & Sending Beer Back After Trump Supporter PR

We’re still following along with this developing story…but the following comment was posted on Twitter by James Watt of BrewDog:

Everyone. We had no idea about the Scofflaw press release or the plans they announced today for the events. We in no way aligned with their position and we will of course be cancelling all the events and sending all of the beer back.

We dug a little deeper and found that Scofflaw Brewing’s PR Firm Frank released a press release calling Scofflaw the “trailer trash brewery” and that they would be gearing up the UK “redneck style” and offering free beer to UK Trump supporters.  Here’s the PR:

Free beer offered to UK Trump supporters this weekend by contentious US brewery ’Scofflaw’

This weekend see’s redneck US brewers Scofflaw (known as the ‘Jackass brand of the brewing industry’) partner with badass beer brand Brewdog to launch in the UK.

The self-confessed ‘trailer trash’ brewers are renowned in the states for their lawless attitude and have landed in London today – their aim?

To get the UK ‘beered up redneck style’, completely free of charge! But there is a hook… you have to be a Trump supporter.

Scofflaw are putting tens of thousands of pounds behind Brewdog bars in Shoreditch, Soho, Shepherd’s Bush, Tower Hill, Manchester and Leeds over the next 7 days and are intending to crash onto the UK beer scene with their tagline: “There’s a little dissent in everything we do”

The brewers will also be doing various activities over the coming week including demolishing beer can pillars in a monster truck and beer can clay pigeon shooting.

This PR has now caused BrewDog to cancel all of the Scofflaw events AND return all of the beer so it looks like the Scofflaw deal is off.

This update from James Watt:

Following Scofflaw’s Fake News earlier, we’re going to run a very real promotion today – one free beer for anyone who supports LOVE not hate. Simply tell our staff, and enjoy a pint of Punk, or any other headliner on us.

This 10:30AM EST Update from Scofflaw:

We did not approve or release said message and we are working with our PR firm Frank. to fix this error. This post was done on our behalf without our consent or knowledge. More details and official release to come.

We did not approve or release the message that is making its rounds. We are working with our PR firm @welcometofrank to source the internal error and correct. More details and official release to come.

yes well we like branding but also take exception when someone slanders us or ours our employees well being at risk. Couldn’t give a fuck about politics. Doesn’t mean we need the law to fix things. Sometimes we act like humans and engage in normal communication, as any of the tens of thousands that have been to the brewery can report.

And now this from James Watt:

Just to confirm the Scofflaw release came from their agency not ours and we had zero knowledge of any of this this. And as soon as we knew, we cancelled the events. The agency @WelcomeToFrank called me to say the release came form a ‘rogue’ element in their team. What a mess.

28 Sept 2018 from @WelcomeToFrank:

On 27th Sept, a statement was released to media by an individual employee of Frank without Scofflaw’s approval. The reputation of our client is of utmost importance and we are taking this matter seriously. The employee has been suspended while an investigation takes place.

We apologise to Scofflaw, BrewDog and anyone that may have been offended by these actions.