BrewDog’s Bold Rebranding: A Turnaround for the Craft Brewery?

In 2007, James Watt famously challenged major beer corporations and their bland, fizzy lagers and artificial flavors.

In a series of audacious stunts, he drove a tank through Camden, filmed himself destroying Heineken bottles, and even dropped taxidermy “fat cats” in formal attire from a helicopter over London.

Founded in a garage in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, BrewDog, dubbed “the punk beer company,” quickly won over a base of young, ethically-conscious consumers.

“Welcome to the revolution,” proclaimed the provocative BrewDog website, encouraging consumers to “Walk tall. Kick Ass.”

What began as a grassroots venture grew into a global enterprise, boasting over 120 bars worldwide, a workforce of 2,000, and breweries located in places such as Berlin, Brisbane, Ohio, and Ellon, Scotland.

Traditional AGM meetings were replaced with “annual general madness” events, where Watt and co-founder Martin Dickie entertained crowds alongside rock stars.

Watt, a former trawlerman, received enthusiastic support when he claimed BrewDog would surpass its conventional competitors.

“The motives of these large companies are obvious,” he stated in 2015. “They cut costs, staff, and quality. We will thrive on our values.”

Fast forward a decade, and BrewDog’s website has undergone a significant overhaul, effectively erasing all remnants of Watt’s once-famous brash persona. The company’s social media history has also been scrubbed clean as part of this dramatic transformation.

Gone are the calls to be environmentally conscious and edgy visuals featuring tattooed staff; they have been replaced with bright colors and family-friendly promotions.

“2025 signifies a new chapter for BrewDog,” the website now claims. “A revamped look for our beers and a fresh perspective at the core of the company.”

Once rebellious, BrewDog is now noted for supplying beer at Lord’s, the prestigious home of English cricket, where formal attire is the norm.

Lauren Carrol, BrewDog’s newly appointed COO, emphasized the company’s shift. “People associate BrewDog with shock and disruption, but we aimed for something more revolutionary.”

“We wanted to recognize the incredible team members working diligently behind the scenes at our brewery, venues, and events. This remarkable group empowers us daily with unwavering confidence,” she added.

However, industry analysts view this rebranding as a superficial attempt to mend BrewDog’s tarnished reputation. In 2021, a collective of former employees, known as Punks With Purpose, alleged a culture of misogyny and harassment flourished under Watt’s leadership.

“For many ex-employees, fear remains the predominant sentiment,” they stated.

Watt denied these allegations but acknowledged he had become “too intense,” committing to improving his leadership style, especially after receiving an autism and ADHD diagnosis in 2023.

“I sometimes miss the cues that guide a situation and help me adjust,” he explained. “I understand why employees reacted to my management approach.”

Last year, BrewDog faced backlash after retracting its promise to pay the accredited real living wage, opting to hire new staff at the legal minimum instead.

Critics labeled it hypocritical after Watt invested £500,000 in Heineken, the corporation he once criticized. The company, which advocates for LGBT and human rights, also controversially partnered with Budweiser China.

The final blow to BrewDog’s outlaw image occurred when Watt was seen at Nigel Farage’s 60th birthday party alongside his fiancée, who later hung up a “massive portrait of Margaret Thatcher” in their London penthouse.

Watt resigned as CEO last May as BrewDog’s losses surged from £30 million to £59 million during his last fiscal year. Despite stepping back, he still holds significant shares in the company.

Marketing Week reported a decline in BrewDog’s brand health index scores from 7.8 to 5.2 in just one year.

Luca Lorenzoni, a former CEO of Northern Monk and Camden Town Brewery, described the rebranding as lacking substance.

“I doubt this will resolve BrewDog’s sales and profitability issues,” he noted. “To many, BrewDog is synonymous with James Watt, and his controversial history casts a shadow over the brand.”

He found it telling that the brand removed the phrase “Fiercely defiant and independent” from its packaging, replacing “Made in Ellon” with “Made fresh,” which he views as a sign of a brand distancing itself from its past.

Dean Spicer, founder of Studio Sigraph, expressed, “If Watt had maintained a lower profile, like Dickie, I believe they’d have been more successful.”

“I’m not interested in their products or venues simply because of his involvement,” he said.

Esther Henderson from Canny Creative offered a more tempered view.

“Leadership changes were overdue, but let’s be clear that a new aesthetic won’t solve everything,” she asserted. “BrewDog’s new journey will be evaluated based on actions and treatment of staff, their presence in the industry, and their ability to expand without repeating past mistakes.”

An long-time BrewDog employee lamented the changes as demeaning. “Initially, we united against established giants. As we expanded, we focused on environmental goals and adopted the motto ‘Beer. People. Planet.’ Now, we’ve abandoned any pretense of ideology and seem intent on luring patrons from cocktail chains. This is ‘Go woke. Go broke,’ in reverse.”

BrewDog maintained it anticipates returning to profitability for the first time since 2019 and has regained recognition from the Top Employers Institute.

“2025 marks our 18th year and the beginning of a new phase,” a spokesperson stated. “This March, we appointed James Taylor as CEO and promoted Lauren Carrol to COO, unveiling updated branding and packaging for our essential beers.”

“We have disrupted the beer scene for nearly 20 years, and our latest offerings, Black Heart, Cold Beer, Shore Leave, and Wingman, have helped us capture a larger market share than ever before.”

“With our revitalized image and fresh leadership, our mission remains unchanged: to ignite a passion for great beer in our consumers,” they added.

Watt, now 43, stands firm against criticisms of his past management and decisions. “I have created thousands of jobs, contributed immensely in taxes, and invested over £200 million back into our economy,” he shared on Instagram. “Yet, media portrayals make it seem I am the worst boss ever, a ‘Darth Vader’ of CEOs.”

“But actions always carry more weight than headlines. I will continue to prioritize my team, my business, and my principles above all else.”