History

A National Drink 1954-1989

1959 heralded a key period of acquisition and consolidation after Barr became one company with the purchase by A.G. Barr & Co. Ltd. of Robert Barr Ltd. Falkirk. The company stepped up its expansion into England and became a public company in 1965.

From the 1960’s onwards a series of innovative advertising campaigns resulted in a period of rapid sales growth across the range of Barr brands. One of the most memorable, IRN-BRU’s famous TV and Poster Campaigns of the mid 1970’s to the early 1990’s, ‘Your other national drink - made in Scotland from girders’ confirmed IRN-BRU’s popular status as a national brand. This iconic advertising is still recalled with fondness by the Scottish public. In 2007 the ‘Made in Scotland from Girders’ campaign was awarded ‘Best Advertising Strap-line Of The Last 21 Years’ at the Scottish Advertising Awards.

BARR ‘INVADE’ ENGLAND, 1954

Barr set out to ‘conquer’ England with the acquisition of John Hollows Bradford.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IRN-BRU ENGLAND LABEL, 1969

IRN-BRU introduce a ‘Tartan’ inspired label design in England only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIZER LIMITED IS ACQUIRED BY BARR FOR £2.5M, 1972

Barr achieved national distribution throughout Scotland, England and Wales as a result of the purchase of the business which had been started by the Pickup family in Bristol in 1907 and became a public company in 1936.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARR RELAUNCH TIZER, 1973

Barr relaunched Tizer - ‘The Appetizer’. Chairman, Robert Barr, insisted that the company’s chemists reproduce a formula as near to the original 1924 Tizer as was then possible. 

 

IRN-BRU 330ml CAN DESIGN, 1974

The purchase of Stotherts Ltd. Atherton in 1967 brought soft drinks cans into the Barr portfolio for the first time. In 1974 a new IRN-BRU design was introduced across the range of packs including 330ml cans. This design was replaced in 1988.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BILLY CONNOLLY RECORD, 1975

IRN-BRU is known for its apparently magical restorative powers as a hangover cure. Billy Connolly wrote and released an ode dedicated to Mr & Mrs Barr “for saving my life on so many Sunday mornings” in his 1975 album 'Cop Yer Whack For This'. 

 

NON RETURNABLE 1lt PLASTISHIELD BOTTLE, 1976

Plastishield covered glass bottles enabled the supermarkets to sell large bottles of soft drinks for the first time. The covering made it safe to sell glass although the maximum pack size was only 1lt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROBERT BARR RECEIVES O.B.E., 1978

The picture shows Robert Barr with his wife, Dorothy, and son, Robin, at Buckingham Palace where he received an O.B.E. (order of the British Empire) for services to the soft drinks industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FIRST PLASTIC BOTTLES GO ON SALE IN SUPERMARKETS, 1979

PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) packaging was introduced which quickly replaced Plastishield glass bottles since 2lt, or even 3 litre, bottles could be manufactured and distributed with no safety issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALAN WELLS VISITS BARR TWICE IN A DAY, 1980

Olympic 100m Gold medalist Alan Wells officially opened two new Barr Warehouses on the same day - one in Glasgow and one in Atherton, nr Bolton, England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

150 YEAR CELEBRATION, 1830-1980

A special brochure was produced to mark the Barr family’s 150 years in business.

 

 

 

 

HOME BRU KIT, MID 1980’s

One of IRN-BRU’s ‘Made in Scotland from Girders’ posters. 

 

IRN-BRU LOW CALORIE 330ml CAN, 1985

In 1979 a new low calorie IRN-BRU variant had been launched in glass and plastic bottles. Low calorie IRN-BRU became available in 330ml cans from 1985.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MANDORA ST. CLEMENTS ACQUISITION, 1988

Barr purchased Mandora St. Clements Ltd. for £21 ½m. and thereby diversified into high juice based drinks. In addition the acquisition brought the KA brand into the product range.