<P> Barr 's trademark application for the brand name Irn - Bru dates from July 1946 when the drink was still off sale because of wartime regulations . The firm first commercialised their drink using this new name in 1948 once government SDI consolidation of the soft drinks industry had ended . The name change followed the introduction of new labelling restrictions which cracked down on spurious health claims and introduced minimum standards for drinks claiming to contain minerals such as iron . However , according to Robert Barr OBE ( chairman 1947 -- 1978 ) , there was also a commercial rationale behind the unusual spelling . `` Iron Brew '' had come to be understood as a generic product category in the UK , whereas adopting the name `` Irn - Bru '' allowed the firm to have a legally protected brand identity that would enable the firm to benefit from the popularity of their wartime `` Adventures of Ba - Bru '' comic strip advertising . ( The `` Iron Brew '' name has continued to be used for many versions of the drink sold by rival manufacturers . ) </P>
<P> Barr 's trademark application for the brand name Irn - Bru dates from July 1946 when the drink was still off sale because of wartime regulations . The firm first commercialised their drink using this new name in 1948 once government SDI consolidation of the soft drinks industry had ended . The name change followed the introduction of new labelling restrictions which cracked down on spurious health claims and introduced minimum standards for drinks claiming to contain minerals such as iron . However , according to Robert Barr OBE ( chairman 1947 -- 1978 ) , there was also a commercial rationale behind the unusual spelling . `` Iron Brew '' had come to be understood as a generic product category in the UK , whereas adopting the name `` Irn - Bru '' allowed the firm to have a legally protected brand identity that would enable the firm to benefit from the popularity of their wartime `` Adventures of Ba - Bru '' comic strip advertising . ( The `` Iron Brew '' name has continued to be used for many versions of the drink sold by rival manufacturers . ) </P>
when did iron brew change to irn bru
when did iron brew change to irn bru
July 1946
July 1946