IRN-BRU has unveiled a new football anthem fronted by Susan Boyle and John McGinn as Scotland gears up for the men’s World Cup.
Titled We’re Made in Scotland from Girders, the track has been marketed as a modern spin on the soft drink’s famous 1980s advert and is aimed at the Tartan Army.
The song and music video follow fans through the highs and lows of following Scotland abroad this summer, from soaring ticket prices and visa hassles to late kick-offs and US tipping culture, while insisting that – on and off the pitch – Scots are “made from girders”.
Boyle delivers a standout bridge section, introduced by Scotland midfielder McGinn, in a sequence filmed on the Forth Bridge before the singer is shown breakdancing in front of a crowd.
She said the experience was “a bit bonkers but in the best way” and described the song as “for the fans and everyone loudly showing their support".
Boyle said: “I never thought I’d be belting out an anthem on top of a bridge or breakdancing but it just goes to show that anything’s possible when you’re Made in Scotland from Girders.
“It’s been brilliant fun, a bit bonkers but in the best way. The anthem is for the fans and everyone loudly showing their support - carrying the roar of a nation with them, from the first kick to the final whistle.”
The anthem also features Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos on guitar and comedian Paul Black, who riffs on culture shock for travelling supporters in the United States.
Among the more memorable lines are nods to Scottish humour and national-team expectations, including “We may not be the pundit’s favourites to win, but what we lack in flair is made up with McGinn” and “We’re made in Scotland from girders / Where there’s girders there’s a way.”
Five Scotland fans appear in the video after being selected at a karaoke-style casting call led by 71-year-old May Miller, whose own viral fame has now been folded into the campaign. For all of them, it is a first appearance in a national advert.
Kenny Nicholson, director of brand at Irn-Bru said: “Scotland fans have experienced it all during the last 28 years - the true definition of being Made from Girders.
“This moment is decades in the making and this anthem is a rallying cry for the fans. It celebrates what it means to be a supporter. We can’t wait to hear it being bellowed out as they follow the action this summer - whether that’s watching home or away.”
