Picks of the Week

MARYLAND RELAUNCHES KOOKIE CAMPAIGN

The brand is also unveiling a new look and has made its entire core cookies range under 100 calories per portion.

Maryland Cookies is bringing back its Keep it Kookie campaign later this month. The campaign, which was launched by Burton’s Biscuit Co last year as part of a major brand repositioning, celebrates individuality.

The four-week £750,000 campaign, which launches on 19 April, leads with TV and is amplified with in-store and online activation. The brand is also launching a Keep it Kookie microsite, where consumers will be encouraged to ‘Share Your Kookie’ and vote for their favourite kookie quirks.

Burton’s Biscuit Co’s Marketing Director Kate Needham said: “This year’s evolution of Keep it Kookie highlights that just like Maryland Cookies, no two people are the same. We’re asking shoppers to join us in shouting about what makes us all different – because when we’re open about our kookiness, it’s liberating.” The campaign coincides with the launch of a new pack design, created to modernise the brand and introduce Keep it Kookie onto packs.

Maryland has also made its entire core cookies range under 100 calories per portion (two biscuits) with the brand’s choc chip product now only 97 calories per serving. Needham added: “Shoppers are looking to meet their portion-control requirements with new products outside the traditional 'healthy' sphere that still meet their indulgence needs.

“Our plans this year show that Maryland Cookies can stand apart from other biscuit brands. We’re proud to be a cookie in a world of biscuits and we want to shout about our kookiness. We’re confident the campaign will bring new shoppers into the category and drive frequency with current shoppers.

OATIBIX UNVEILS PIRATE-THEMED TV AD

The advert is part of a wider £2m marketing investment also including on-demand, social, digital, and shopper marketing.

Oatibix has returned to the TV for the first time in more than 10 years with a campaign to encourage Brits to start the day well.

The TV advert, which airs from 11-24 April, is part of a wider £2m marketing investment also including on-demand, social, digital, and shopper marketing. The activity is expected to introduce Oatibix to 600,000 new households this year, with ambitions to grow the brand by more than 30% by 2023.

The advert incorporates a light-hearted pirate theme, playfully pointing to the benefits of Oatibix, as a shipmate’s final plea for a bowl of Oatibix miraculously saves him from walking the plank. The ad signs off with the iconic ‘Have you had yours?’ line.

The advert follows the recent brand refresh with Oatibix unveiling new packaging and a recipe reformulation for the Original biscuits in February. Oatibix packs are now category-unique green in colour.

Gareth Turner, Head of Marketing at Weetabix, said: “The ‘natural and wholesome’ segment of cereals has continued to grow in the past year, so it’s been the perfect time to give some love to Oatibix. Shoppers are already loving Oatibix’s new look and crisper and lighter taste, and the new, playfully pirate-themed TV advert showcases the fun nature of Weetabix‘s oat-filled sibling.

“Alongside the refreshed pack designs and delicious new flavours, this is a major investment into the Oatibix brand, so it’s a product to look out for in 2022. As the whole Oatibix range is HFSS-compliant, we will be putting our full support behind the relaunch – raising awareness of the Oatibix brand and driving sales in the months ahead.”

COCA-COLA DEMYSTIFIES PLASTIC RECYCLING

The company has created a stop-motion film featuring an animated likeness of American science icon Bill Nye who explains the end-to-end recycling process.

The Coca-Cola Company is breaking down plastic recycling to demystify the process in a new animated film narrated by William Nye, better known as Bill Nye the Science Guy.

The stop-motion film features an animated— and recycled—likeness of Nye who explains the end-to-end recycling process. The film takes viewers on the circular journey of a plastic bottle, starting from the time it’s placed in a recycling bin to returning to the shelf as a 100% recycled bottle.

The film was shot on a set made with recyclable and recycled materials. Plastic bottles, labels and cardboard were incorporated into all aspects of the production – from Nye’s puppet caricature made from cut-up plastic Coca-Cola bottles to trees made from green Sprite labels, to conveyor belts designed from recyclable cardboard.

Nye said: “As we know, we need to reuse plastic. That’s why I’m partnering with The Coca-Cola Company to show the science behind the process of recycling and how we can continue to address the global plastic waste crisis, together.”

Christine Yeager, Sustainability Director, North America Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Company, added: “Recycling can be confusing for consumers. We need to be able to articulate, in a clear, easy-to-understand way, how recycling helps drive a circular economy by using and reusing materials again and again. That brought us to the idea of using Bill’s knack for communicating about complex topics in a simple way. We wanted to make this process more digestible for consumers, so they understand the science behind recycling and hopefully feel inspired to take action with us.”

PICKS OF THE WEEK

ZERO WINE

Hardys has launched a non-alcoholic wine range called Hardys Zero, available in three varieties – Shiraz, Chardonnay and Sparkling. A new marketing campaign will focus on driving awareness. Hardys Zero is available from June at a recommended retail price of £5.50.

CLOUD BUSTING

Mars Wrigley is expanding into the ‘gummy’ category with new Skittles innovation Squishy Cloudz, which combines gummy and marshmallow with the same fruity flavours as Skittles. The range is available in two variants – Fruits and Crazy Sours – in 94g and 70g tear-&-share packs.

VIMTO VARIANTS

Nichols is extending its Vimto range with two new flavour formats. Sparkling variant Vimto Cherry, Raspberry & Blackcurrant will be available in both 2L and 500ml bottles from April. New still Vimto Blackberry, Raspberry & Blueberry 500ml will also be available from April.

BROOKLYN BEER

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company will launch its Brooklyn Pilsner into the off-trade in September in single 660ml bottles (RSP £1.90) and in 12x330ml packs (RSP £14). The launch will be supported by a multi-million-pound national marketing campaign.

TROPICAL GIN

Halewood Artisanal Spirits’ premium gin brand Whitley Neill is expanding its range with the launch of new Pineapple and Peach variants as it continues to tap into the tropical flavour trend. Both variants are available in a 70cl format, with an ABV of 43%, and an RSP £26.

NEW NIBBLIES

Pladis has launched a lighter, lower-fat version of its Jacob’s Mini Cheddars, available in Cheddar & Smoked Paprika and Double Gloucester & Chive flavours. Jacob’s Mini Cheddars Nibblies is available in 6x17g multipacks and 115g sharing bags with an RSP of £1.50.