London, 2 June, 2026: No Scotland, no party, as the saying goes. But being a Scotland fan and always bringing the party isn’t always easy (especially this year); so they need to be made from sterner stuff – Girders.
Which is where IRN-BRU comes in. Working with Lucky Generals, the soft drink has taken its iconic 1980s “Made In Scotland From Girders” song and turned it into not just THE anthem for the summer, but a rallying cry for Scottish fans everywhere.
The song features Scottish legends such as Susan Boyle, Aston Villa and Scotland captain John McGinn, Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos, comedian Paul Black, viral singing sensation May Miller and dozens of real Tartan Army fans.
Built on IRN-BRU’s “Made In Scotland From Girders” platform, brought back by Lucky Generals, the campaign celebrates the maverick bravery and humour that defines Scottish fans – especially as they prepare to travel across America for a summer featuring brutal late nights, eye-watering costs, impossible journeys and a group containing global heavyweights.
At the heart of the campaign is a music video launching on 2nd June across TV, social and digital, alongside 60-, 30- and 20 -second cutdowns as well as 10-second teasers that will run throughout the summer – planned and bought by the7stars (media agency).
But the campaign stretches far beyond a hero film, spanning fan casting calls, cryptic paparazzi shots of key talent, social activations, Spotify and vinyl releases, OOH, reactive cutdowns and behind-the-scenes content featuring both celebrities and Scotland supporters, in collaboration with John Doe (PR) and Leith (reactive social).
Directed by GRANDMAS at Academy, the film follows Scotland supporters navigating everything the summer throws at them – airport security, extortionate ticket prices, sleepless nights, American culture shock and Miami heatwaves – all while defiantly singing their way through it.
Among the standout lyrics are lines including: “Then clench those buttcheeks and pray”, “We may not be the pundit’s favourites to win, but what we lack in flair is made up with McGinn”, and the rallying chorus: “We’re made in Scotland from girders / Where there’s girders there’s a way.”
Real fans were central to the production. Earlier this year, IRN-BRU launched a nationwide casting call inviting supporters to audition for a role in the campaign. Entrants were asked to perform their favourite karaoke songs, May Miller selecting the standout performers. Five winning fans were ultimately chosen to star in the film alongside the celebrity cast.
To make sure the work authentically reflected the mood of the nation, Lucky Generals also canvassed hundreds of Scottish fans, spoke to prominent members of the Tartan Army and worked closely with leading Scottish media voices.
That research uncovered a fanbase balancing realism with unwavering optimism. Fans admitted they were “up against it”, while also revealing the lengths they would go to follow Scotland, from “selling my car” to spending “half of the house deposit” and even joking about selling kidneys to fund the trip.
To firmly embed the track within Scottish culture ahead of the summer, the7stars has developed a phased media strategy designed to build anticipation before landing a high-impact launch moment across AV, audio, social and OOH. Activity begins with an OOH poster at Glasgow and Edinburgh airport for departing fans, teaser content across IRN-BRU’s social channels before expanding into YouTube, BVOD and linear TV, including placements on ITV, designed to drive mass reach and fan participation. Activity will be supported by influencer and meme-led executions across social to seed out early cultural traction and drive credibility through native to platform content.
Kenny Nicholson, Head of Brand at IRN-BRU said: “Scotland fans are unlike any other supporters in the world. This campaign is a celebration of the humour, resilience and maverick bravery that makes the Tartan Army so special. No matter what this summer throws at us, we’ll face it together — because we’re all Made in Scotland from Girders.”
CD Danny Hunt at Lucky Generals, said:
After 28 years the tartan army is about to show the world what’s under their kilt, and we thought they’d need an anthem to match.
Maddie Northwood, Media Planner at the7stars, said:
“We’ve deliberately planned this campaign like a music release, building anticipation through teaser activity before landing a big cultural moment. The ambition is to make the track part of the Tartan Army experience, whether fans are singing it on the streets of Glasgow or the beaches of Miami. The media strategy is designed to stay agile throughout the summer, reacting to match moments and real-time fan sentiment as it unfolds.”
- Maddie Northwood, Media Planner
- Ben Edwards, Strategist
- Lewis Watson, Business Director
- Matt Jackson, Digital Lead
