IRN-BRU Personalised Cans

Our objective

Irn-Bru needs little introduction. Dubbed Scotland’s other national drink (after whisky), it’s one of the UK’s most recognisable brands, with a fiercely loyal fanbase and a cultural presence that extends far beyond the soft drinks aisle. 

AG Barr, the brand’s parent company, already had an established Shopify presence – primarily built around merchandise – but saw a clear opportunity to capitalise on the gifting market, particularly in the crucial Christmas window. 

The brief was to add personalisation directly on to the Irn-Bru can; something that would create a viral keepsake, impress fans, drive a higher average order value, and help convert the brand’s enormous cultural influence into an additional ecommerce revenue stream. 

But gird your loins: bringing that vision to life would require a seamless blend of specialist printing technology and fulfilment, all delivered at pace ahead of the festive rush. 

Our approach

Working with the wonderful team at INK, Irn-Bru’s licensing partner, we collaboratively created a gifting experience that turned a 79p into a £5.95 gift, pushing average order value up to £9.95. 

But how? 

With a brand this iconic, execution was key. Every font, colour, and print finish was scrutinised. 

Using our specialist in-house UV DTF print technology, we got the finish just right – smooth and impactful. 

Meanwhile, our tech nerds created and integrated a bespoke iFrame solution into the Irn-Bru Shopify site, worked with the INK team to source approved gift packaging, and managed fulfilment end-to-end from our warehouse.  

To build momentum, we also helped to activate a targeted influencer mailer campaign, putting personalised Irn-Bru cans into the hands of some of Scotland’s most recognisable personalities, helping to spark social conversation around the launch.  

From brief to launch took just two weeks, with the campaign hitting the market ahead of Black Friday and ready to ride the festive rush. 

Project outcome

Key stats:

• • Stock sold out within just 96 hours.
  • Four-figure sales generated on launch day alone.

Few brands could sell out a gifting launch in four days; Irn-Bru did.  

Sales reached four figures on launch day alone, and the initial batch cleared within 96 hours of going live, as customers snapped them up for gifts, stocking fillers, and even Christmas dinner table settings. 

Beyond Christmas, the cans popped up at weddings, birthday parties, and corporate events, where they were used as ‘place cards’, gifts, and keepsakes – a reminder that great gifting ideas aren’t just for Christmas. A second sales spike in March pointed to Easter as the next natural gifting moment for the brand. 

With AG Barr’s sights now firmly set on the World Cup, personalised cans remain a key part of the brand’s ecommerce offering. What began as a seasonal gifting campaign has evolved into something much bigger, and we’re continuing to work closely with the team to explore what’s next…