Bier Company splattered over April Fool’s promotion

bier clubBier Company, an online business which claims to stock the finest independent craft ales from across the UK, has suffered a nasty dose of brewer’s droop after its attempt at an April Fool’s Day joke backfired spectacularly.

It all kicked off – quite literally it seems – when members of the company’s subscription service ‘Bier Club’ received an email under the subject “URGENT: You’ve Won a Black Card!”, and which promised “free beer for life”.

However, those who signed up for the subscription service using the code “SLOOFLIRPA” (which can be read backwards as “APRILFOOLS”) were informed that they would actually only receive one month for free – after which the subscription would cost £22.95 per month.

The Advertising Standards Authority received 40 complaints on the day of the prank, accusing Bier Company of “misleading” those who received the email. The ASA is yet to decide on an appropriate action.

Members who entered the code into the website were automatically placed on the one month trial, without consenting to paying a subscription fee for each subsequent month.

One user commented on Twitter: “At best a misguided campaign (I’ve worked in advertising for 12 years — we’ve all been there) and at worst it’s fraud, conning people out of money and causing stress during a cost of living crisis signing them up to a subscription that’s unclear.”

Another wrote: “Truly baffles me how many brands fail to consider all possible reactions to their campaigns – good and bad. Bier Company is the latest to make the shortlist for the Noddy of the Year Award 2022.”

A third said: “It’s going to be interesting to see what excuse Bier Company come up with after scamming their entire customer base with a stupid April fools joke which literally breaks trading standards laws. Nice one guys.”

The ASA has yet to confirm whether it will investigate the campaign; Bier Company has yet to comment.

Related stories
Last orders: Call for curbs on £6bn alcohol marketing
Marketers call for tougher rules; do they mean it man?
Industry scoffs at junk food ad ban despite concessions
Industry chokes at total ban on online junk food ads
Industry barfs as Govt cooks up online junk food ad ban
Southerners, Scots and Welsh don’t think they’re fatties