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In Scotland there is one soda that outsells both Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Irn-Bru.
The origins of Irn-Bru can be traced back to 1899, where the Barr family first began producing a beverage they dubbed "Iron Brew."
The strongman logo, first appearing in a 1900 advertisement, established the visual identity that Irn-Bru maintains today.
While 1901 marks the drink's official launch, sales records show Scottish consumers had already embraced it in the late 1890s.
As a 1900 publication, "The Falkirk Cookery Book," noted in its pages, "Barr's Iron Brew" was a drink of choice, hinting at its underground popularity.
In the aftermath of World War II, regulators in the UK brought down the hammer on brands marketing false health claims for their products.
They put in place new rules to combat the proliferation of spurious health claims. This had a major effect on the soft drink industry.
Irn-Bru transformed from generic "Iron Brew" to distinctive brand during this period, despite containing no significant iron content.
In 1946, manufacturer Barr strategically renamed their beverage "Irn-Bru," securing trademark protection while separating themselves from common iron brew products.
Other brands, such as Coca-Cola with its early claims of curing impotence and dyspepsia, and Ovaltine's promises of "building body, brain, and nerves," also had to adapt to the new regulatory landscape.
The wartime regulations had temporarily taken Irn-Bru off the market. However, it came back with a new name and a bang in 1948.
From 1939 to 1970, the Adventures of Ba-Bru comic strip shaped Scottish advertising through its presence in national newspapers.
The strip served as Irn-Bru's central marketing campaign, with its protagonist Ba-Bru becoming inseparable from the soft drink's identity.
The Evening Times marked the campaign's end in 1970, writing: "After 31 years, the Adventures of Ba-Bru, the longest-running cartoon advertising character in history, has finally ended."
A Barr's spokesperson acknowledged the character's legacy: "Ba-Bru has been a great servant to Irn-Bru over the years, and we're sad to see him go."
The campaign's final physical remnant—a neon Ba-Bru sign above Glasgow Central Station—remained until 1983.
In its place emerged a new message: "Your Other National Drink."
In the 1980s, Irn-Bru launched a controversial advertising campaign featuring the slogan "Made in Scotland from Girders.”
The slogan quickly became one of the most recognizable taglines associated with the brand.
The slogan, a playful nod to the small amount of ammonium ferric citrate (a source of iron) present in the drink's recipe, capitalized on Irn-Bru's Scottish heritage and its perceived strength-giving properties.
Scots who appreciated the tongue-in-cheek humor and the celebration of their national identity.
However, the Karens came out and said that the slogan was misleading, as the actual iron content in Irn-Bru was minimal.
Despite this controversy, the "Made in Scotland from Girders" slogan has persisted.
In 2003, Irn-Bru found itself at the center of a media firestorm when it aired a controversial television advertisement featuring a transgender woman.
The ad depicted a family singing a 1950s-style jingle that concluded with the mother shaving her beard with the revelation:
"...even though I used to be a man"
The ad received 17 complaints from viewers who found it offensive to the transgender community.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated the complaints and ruled that the ad was "capable of causing offense by strongly reinforcing negative stereotypes."
In response, a spokesperson stated:
"The advertisement was meant to create a sense of humour while confirming the maverick nature of the brand."
The ad was swiftly taken off the air.
AG Barr released Irn-Bru 1901 in 2019, recreating the soft drink's century-old recipe.
The launch met sustained customer demand for the original formula.
Stores saw immediate sales as Scottish consumers sought out this historic version of their national drink.
Recognizing the enduring appeal and cultural significance of the original recipe, A.G. Barr made the decision to reintroduce the 1901 formula as a beverage to their product line in 2021.
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