GROLSCH RELAUNCH

PRODUCT NEWS: ASAHI UK

GROLSCH SWINGS BACK INTO THE UK

ASAHI UK IS BRINGING THE LAGER WITH THE FAMOUS SWING-TOP LID BACK TO THE UK AFTER A YEAR’SABSENCE WITH A NEW LIQUID, A MULTIMILLION POUND MEDIA SPEND AND A CONVENIENCE-SPECIFICFORMAT.

The Dutch lager brand Grolsch with its trademark swing-top lid is being reintroduced to the UK market by owners Asahi with a new 4% liquid, a new identity, new packaging and a big budget media spend.

The brand disappeared from the shelves towards the end of last year when a 35-year joint venture agreement between Asahi and UK manufacturing partner Molson Coors ended in the UK and Ireland.

Asahi has now decided to take the brand back to its spiritual home in Enschede in the Netherlands, with all Grolsch Premium Pilsner now brewed there. It will be available once more to the off-trade from the end of next month.

The all-new 4% liquid has been designed from scratch using an unusual double brewing method called ‘doubledecoction’ which apparently helps deliver a full-flavoured liquid that is still relatively low in alcohol at 4%.

The brand sports a new look with all packs featuring swing-lid artwork, harking back to the unique closure made famous by Bros. Anybody remember them?

The product will be available in 330ml crown cap bottles, 440ml cans (from March 2021) and the iconic 450ml ‘swing-top’ bottle– with a range of multipack formats. Pleasingly, it will also be available in a 500ml can format specially for the convenience channel.

Tim Clay, Managing Director at Asahi UK, said: “Grolsch Premium Pilsner is back with a fresh brand identity and a brilliant, revitalised liquid, brewed at its iconic home in East Netherlands. The brand new packaging and instore activations we’ve tailored for Grolsch’s return are just as exciting – highly distinctive and full of character. We’re delighted with the response and take-up from customers to date.

“This is a fantastic new proposition for the UK & Ireland market, building on Asahi UK’s comprehensive suite of premium beer and cider brands. It comes at an important time, with a growing consumer preference for a range of ABV beers that also offer high quality and strong provenance. Grolsch Pilsner ticks all those boxes, providing great refreshment to suit any occasion, and with an excellent depth of flavour.”

The return is supported by a multimillion pound marketing campaign from launch across 2021, including national above-the-line advertising, a range of premium point-of-sale materials, staff training, and both in & outside of outlet rate-of-sale driving promotional activity.

The campaign celebrates Grolsch’s heritage as a pilsner brewed to deliver ’double the flavour’. The campaign will be running on social media from October 2020 and on video-ondemand, social and digital out-ofhome from Q2 2021.

Grolsch continues to innovate today with a modern brewery that has sustainability at its heart. It uses 100% green electricity, reuses brewery waste and cuts plastic use through innovative use of circular and recyclable packaging, including the use of plastic-free packaging to replace plastic shrink-wrap and six-pack rings.