In 2012, craft beer brand BrewDog projected naked images of its co-founders onto the Houses of Parliament to highlight the "craft beer revolution" it was spearheading.

Previous stunts included brewing the world's strongest lager (at a knee-shaking 55%) packaged in the carcasses of dead animals, and producing a beer called Royal Virility Performance to mark the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Including what it called 'herbal Viagra' among its ingredients, it's catchline was 'arise Prince Willy'.

It was, as it continues to tell everyone, a 'punk' coming to disrupt the brewing industry; a brand for which subtlety is never a selling point.

But sell its wares it has - and by the bucket load.

Not only is its Punk IPA brand one of the biggest selling craft beers both in and out of pubs, but it has made no secret of the fact it wants to become one of the biggest five beer brand in the world within the next five years. And, controversies permitting - and over the last 12 months it has seen plenty - it could just achieve its hugely ambitious goal.

Its opened its own branded bars and even its own 'Doghouse' hotels which come complete with a beer fridge in the shower.

Now, some 15 years after the Scottish based brand first emerged kicking and screaming in the marketplace, it is ensuring Kent is firmly part of its path to world domination.

It this week announced it was going to open its first BrewDog bar in Canterbury - adding to the 100-plus it franchises out across the world. It is expected to form part of the £115million Riverside development which opens in the summer. Few would bet against it being a success.

But as the self-styled new kid on the block (or perhaps that should be adolescent now) comes to the county, it sets up shop a mere 20 minute drive from real brewing heritage.

Shepherd Neame, in Faversham, prides itself by being 'Britain's oldest brewer' with a history dating back more than 300 years.

And it's hard to imagine - however desperate it was to appeal to a younger generation - its chief executive Jonathan Neame going 'tackle out' and beaming an image of himself on, say, County Hall, his modesty protected only by a crate of Bishop's Finger.

Which creates an interesting dynamic - the old guard pitted against the new in a battle for today's pub goer.

In truth, it's a fight which, in Kent at least, Shepherd Neame will win hands down - it's pub estate running into the hundreds in the South East.

And it's certainly not sounding anxious about the arrival of the young whippersnapper.

Says (a fully clothed) Jonathan Neame: "We always welcome competition and celebrate the enormous diversity in beer and pubs in the UK. It is great to see other brewers and pub owners investing in our fantastic county.”

But would you expect it to say anything else?

The opening comes at a tricky time for BrewDog's reputation. After years of healthy growth and a growing fanbase, motivated by clever marketing and social media campaigns, it has seemed untouchable.

Yet, last June, dozens of ex-employees published an open letter talking of a "toxic" culture at the brewers.

"Growth, at all costs," the letter alleged, "has always been perceived as the number one focus for the company. Being treated like a human being was sadly not always a given for those working at BrewDog.”

It prompted co-founder James Watt - who was personally criticised - to issue an apology, an admission it had got things wrong, and a vow to improve.

Things then went from bad to worse when it emerged a claim it had hidden ten 24-carat gold cans in its cases of beer worth £15,000 each were, according to those who found them and had them valued, merely gold-plated brass and worth a rather less eye-catching £500.

Consumer trust, as many experts will tell you, is to be toyed with at your peril.

Announcing the opening of the Canterbury bar - along with a host of others around the world - James Watt added: "The last year has also been incredibly tough from a media and social media perspective. It has felt as though our business has been completely under siege."

Fears the firm could face a boycott from customers, however, proved unfounded - sales for 2021 increased by some 21%.

BrewDog's success has certainly upped the sector's visibility. Once upon a time, 'craft ales' were the preserve of those who belonged to the Campaign for Real Ale. Today, BrewDog leads the way in boxes full of the stuff stacked high on supermarket shelves; all with catchy names and colourful, distinctive branding.

It is estimated the market today, in the UK alone, is worth around £1billion and shows no signs of slowing.

So has it helped or hindered Kent's very own brewers by shining such a dazzling spotlight on the marketplace?

Mad Cat Brewery is a micro-brewery operating out of Brogdale Farm in Faversham.

Explains a spokesperson for the firm: "BrewDog is right at the top of the game in its sector, but Mad Cat don't really see itself as being in the same arena. It admires what Brewdog has achieved with its success - and it does really tasty beers - but it's not something that impacts on it in any way.

"It doesn't see BrewDog as a competitor - it's a completely different entity to Mad Cat which is a hyper-local, small business. In the same way it doesn't see Shepherd Neame as competition.

"But BrewDog probably has brought to the party the merchandising and buying beer online - that's probably been the biggest impact it has had on the smaller outfits."

Mike Beaumont runs the Four Candles in Broadstairs. Britain's smallest brew-pub, he is at the opposite end of the brewing scale. All his ales are hand crafted in the cellar of his corner plot - each one different.

Not that he'd call them craft beer as BrewDog does.

"What is craft beer anyway?," he smiles, "Do they put twigs in it? It's just a marketing word.

"It's just beer. It's been around 7,000 years and it will be around for another 7,000 if Putin doesn't finish us off.

"BrewDog is a great triumph of marketing," he acknowledges, "and I take my hat off to them, without in any way wanting to replicate what they've done. They're clever.

"They go for a market they've leapt on to - beardy, tattoo types who are quite happy to be charged £6 for a can of beer.

"But good luck to them - if it gives people pleasure, why not? The more people pay, the better they think it must be."

And what does he expect of their Canterbury venture?

"I expect it will do very well indeed. If you're going for a young crowd in Kent it's got to be Canterbury hasn't it, given the student population?

"I've never been in one of their bars, but people say nice things about them, and fans of BrewDog will definitely be going there. I probably won't. Unless someone wants to buy me a pint there and then when it's my round we'll go somewhere else."