Where did BrewDog's Punk Go?
BrewDog has always thrived on being the outsider - the brand that crashed the party, turned up the volume, and made craft beer cool again. But with their latest rebrand in 2025, it feels like the punk band has traded in its ripped jeans for a sensible suit.
A New Look That’s well... Just New
The new packaging is undeniably slick. The fonts are sharper, the colours more muted, and the cans look, well, grown up. But that’s exactly the problem. BrewDog’s old look was loud, brash, and impossible to ignore—just like the brand itself. Now, the cans could sit quietly on a supermarket shelf and not raise an eyebrow.
The company says the redesign is about “putting our community and beer lovers back at the heart of this business.” But if you listen to the community, the feedback is clear: the new look feels generic. The edge that made BrewDog famous has been sanded down.
Fans Aren’t Buying It
Scroll through social media and you’ll see it: longtime fans, the ones who wore BrewDog t-shirts before it was cool, are unimpressed. Some call it “soulless.” Others say it looks like “every other craft beer.” The punk attitude—the thing that made BrewDog stand out—is missing.
Even BrewDog’s response to criticism has felt off-key. They’ve tweaked their messaging, floated alternate designs, and hinted at letting fans vote on future branding. That’s not punk—that’s indecision.
Growing Up, or Selling Out?
Maybe this was inevitable. BrewDog isn’t the scrappy upstart anymore. With bars worldwide and beers in every supermarket, the brand has gone mainstream. But in trying to appeal to everyone, they risk losing the very people who made them successful in the first place.
The new branding is safe. It’s clean. But it’s not BrewDog. It’s not punk. And for a company built on rebellion, that’s a problem.
My Final Thoughts
BrewDog’s 2025 rebrand was supposed to mark a new era. Instead, it’s left fans wondering if the brand has lost its way. The beer is still good obviously...but the attitude and the sense of fun? That’s what’s missing. And for a brand like BrewDog, that’s everything.