BrewDog’s 'anti-sponsor' to FIFA World Cup campaign falls flat after its beer is seen being sold in Qatar

Owner James Watt dismisses criticism as “a bit of the usual Twitter hate”.

BrewDog’s provocative campaign about being an anti-sponsor to the FIFA Men’s World Cup being held in Qatar has scored an own goal after news emerged of its beer being stocked inside Qatar’s biggest hotels and that it will broadcast the matches in its pubs.

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

Partnering with London’s Saatchi & Saatchi, BrewDog, this week, ran an anti-sponsorship campaign against the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar. Terming itself as the proud anti-sponsor of the “World F*Cup”, the craft beer brand railed against Qatar's criminalisation of homosexuality, its stance on corporal punishment, and the death of over 6,000 construction workers at the football stadium.

Owner James Watt described the criticism as “a bit of the usual Twitter hate” and a pinned post from the brand on Twitter says all the sales from its Lost Lager sold during the World Cup will be donated to causes fighting human rights abuses.