How Lucky Generals Captured Scotland’s ‘Unmatched Energy’ for IRN-BRU

Some creations of the 1980s should probably stay there, but the iconic ‘Made In Scotland From Girders’ song has proven its timeless appeal with a new sound and an advertising campaign for IRN-BRU, created by Lucky Generals and Academy Films. Being a Scottish football fan is not easy, especially during this summer’s tournament, but their inherent humour and charm has captivated audiences across the globe.

“The Tartan Army is in a league of their own when it comes to winning over other fans”, Lucky Generals head of strategy Matt Gainsford tells LBB, referring to scenes in Boston and Miami which saw Scottish fans bring the party by spreading joy and drinking all the beers. “They travel in numbers and bring an unmatched energy, win or lose. That clip doing the rounds of the fans playing bagpipes outside their Airbnb in Boston at 06:30am is a winner.”

Nothing could be more Scottish than IRN-BRU, something the creative team capitalised on when making the spot. Beloved Scots such as Aston Villa and Scotland captain John McGinn, Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos and comedian Paul Black all feature, as the cast are confronted by intimate border controls, extortionate ticket prices and every kind of weather condition as they travel to America to support their team. One particular highlight is Paul Black’s interaction with an overzealous American claiming to be one eighth Scottish and asking after his clan - a phenomenon that rings true for Lucky Generals creative Florence Russell.

“Being eight eighths Scottish, I have a distinct memory of an American calling my dad ‘Clan Chief Russell’ on a trip to the States when I was about 12, despite him never mentioning any title of the sort,” she says. “And when I went last year, I had people left, right and centre telling me about their clan or asking me about mine. I actually don’t mind it, I like that so many Americans cling to their Scottish heritage.”

The casting choice was crucial. “We decided to cast Paul Black as the Scottish fan, in homage to his viral video from a few years ago, ‘People Make Glass Gow’, where he brilliantly parodies an overenthusiastic American tourist,” says Florence. “However, for the film, we thought it would be fun to reverse the roles and have Paul play the weary Scot having to deal with the American character instead.”

The song takes its tune from the 80s but with updated lyrics for 2026, sung by a choir of everyday Scots rather than professional singers. Lucky Generals creative Alex Robson points out, “The song isn’t supposed to sound too polished and it should represent the real fans. So, a lot of our cast had never appeared behind the camera before, but I think they all did a great job.”

Florence admits that while lyrics like ‘We may not be the pundit’s favourites to win, but what we lack in flair is made up with McGinn’ reflect the challenges this summer has thrown at the Tartan Army, the “relentless” nature of the team and its fans helps to keep pessimism at bay.

IRN-BRU also heralded the comeback of legendary Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who belts out the bridge on the landmark Forth Rail Bridge in a beautifully climactic moment. Getting two national treasures together was surprisingly straightforward thanks to her bucket list ambition to appear in an IRN-BRU ad. “As crazy as that sounds, IRN-BRU is such a beloved brand in Scotland,” says Florence. “Even a Scottish star as global as Susan jumped at the chance to be part of it.”

Matt concurs, “It’s hard to overstate the bond between IRN-BRU and Scotland. Originally created for the ship workers of Glasgow in 1901, it’s grown to become part of the country’s national identity. That’s something the brand is incredibly proud of, and never takes for granted, so going all in on supporting the nation is always a given.”

The campaign has already enjoyed global coverage, having been featured in Forbes, Dazed, and NME, and was even applauded on ‘Have I Got News For You’ when it was hosted by fellow Scottish hero David Tennant. “This is a Scotland-first campaign, but we know the humour and cheekiness of IRN-BRU can travel beyond the borders. It’s been amazing to see that happen since the campaign launched”, Matt says.

While the football this time sadly didn’t go the Tartan Army’s way, it remains an important reminder to any underdogs out there that where there’s girders, there’s a way.