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Picks of the Week
by 55 North
LAMBRINI: TO GET YOUR PRODUCT LISTED PLEASE CONTACT RAITKEN@55NORTH.COM
Accolade swallows Lambrini
GLOBAL WINE GIANT ACCOLADE WINES HAS ACQUIRED THE LAMBRINI BRAND FROM HALEWOOD
Leading global wine company Accolade Wines has expanded its UK portfolio with the acquisition of Lambrini which is, apparently, the nation’s number one brand of perry [Nielsen, 2021].
Created almost three decades ago, Lambrini will join Accolade Wines’ diverse and UK market-leading portfolio of brands that includes popular wine labels Hardys, Echo Falls, Jam Shed, St Hallett, Grant Burge, and House of Arras.
The acquisition from current owner Halewood Artisanal Spirits is part of an ambitious sustainable growth strategy being pursued by Accolade Wines, which is already the number one wine company in the UK. It is Accolade’s third acquisition in the past year, following the purchase of Katnook Estate and Rolf Binder Wines in Australia.
Accolade Wines Chief Executive Officer Robert Foye said: “Accolade Wines is delighted to welcome Lambrini into its portfolio. Lambrini has such a strong heritage and is loved by British consumers. We are excited about the role the brand will play in our broader strategic growth plans for the UK and Europe.”
Accolade Wines MD, Europe, Caroline Thompson-Hill, said: “We believe this acquisition is a great thing for the industry and the consumer as we continue to invest in our partnerships, innovate the category, and deliver products that excite the consumer. We are also delighted to announce that the carbon-neutral status of Accolade Wines Europe will be extended across the Lambrini portfolio, further supporting our ambition to reduce emissions across the industry.”
Halewood Chief Executive Officer Stewart Hainsworth said: “The sale of Lambrini marks the final stage in our corporate strategy to focus on our core portfolio of artisanal spirits with award-winning brands including Whitley Neill Gin and JJ Whitley Vodka as part of a larger emphasis on the gin, vodka, rum and whisky categories from our 12 artisanal distilleries.”
Halewood UK MD John Bradbury said: “We believe Lambrini is in capable hands with Accolade Wines. We will work closely with Accolade Wines and our customers through the period of transition to ensure continued delivery of the Lambrini brand to market.”
Smirnoff unveils Raspberry Crush
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST VODKA BRAND IS SET TO INTRODUCE A NEW RASPBERRY CRUSH VARIANT TO THE UK
Smirnoff, the world’s number one vodka brand, is set to introduce a new flavoured vodka – Smirnoff Raspberry Crush – to the UK. Available in wholesale from 12 July, the 37.5% ABV line features a new vibrant pink liquid with natural raspberry flavours and has an RSP of £16.
Flavoured vodka is experiencing the fastest growth within the vodka category, having increased 30% YOY [IWSR, 2020]. The new bottle features eye-catching packaging and aims to grow sales for retailers, offering greater choice to vodka drinkers, 5.5m of whom say they don’t drink gin [Kantar, Sep 2020].
The launch of Smirnoff Raspberry Crush will be supported with a £2.93m marketing investment.
Nick Payman, Head of Smirnoff, comments: “The launch of Smirnoff Raspberry Crush is a big step towards further invigorating and adding excitement to the vodka category.
Smirnoff, a renowned and trusted brand, is perfectly placed to do this as well as recruit new audiences to vodka. The vibrancy of the new pack and liquid, from its colour to its taste, will provide maximum shelf stand out and menu appeal for the trade to capitalise on.
“The new launch provides consumers the opportunity to enjoy vodka serves at a wide range of events, from casual, early evening occasions to elevated experiences and get-togethers, and focuses in creating fun, delicious serves.”
Skittles support for Pride is Black and White
SKITTLES IS ONCE AGAIN GIVING UP ITS RAINBOW COLOURS THIS YEAR TO LET PRIDE'S RAINBOW TAKE CENTRE STAGE WITH THE BRAND GOING BLACK AND WHITE INSTEAD THIS MONTH
Mars Wrigley is to continue its support of Pride for the sixth consecutive year with a £550,000 investment. For more than half a decade its Skittles brand has given up its iconic rainbow colours to allow Pride’s rainbow to take centre stage, acknowledging that “it is the only rainbow that matters during the LGBTQ+ celebrations”.
A new campaign, ‘Recolour The Rainbow’, sees the brand re-colour four iconic LGBTQ+ images, restoring them to full colour for the first time ever, and ultimately bringing new life, visibility and celebration to each image.As in previous years, limited-edition Skittles sharing packs have turned black and white with the colourless packs available across convenience and grocery nationwide, remaining on-shelf throughout the summer to coincide with scheduled Pride celebratory events.
The campaign is being supported with a £550,000 investment that focuses on experiential initiatives and the promotion of togetherness. In addition, there will be in-store activations to support retail customers and drive awareness of Pride and the ‘Recolour The Rainbow’ campaign partners, Switchboard, Queer Britain and Gay Times.
Victoria Gell, Skittles Portfolio Director, says: “Our Pride campaign is bigger and better every year and this year we are proud to be able to continue to show our support with this unique and important initiative. With this new campaign, we are taking our rainbow messaging one step further and restoring colour and awareness to a community that continues to grow its voice.
“Sharing memorable moments is part of our brand DNA. Skittles Pride packs are stand out on shelf and we are helping support our customers with disruptive in-store activations designed to drive awareness and sales throughout the summer.”
Recolour the rainbow
For the campaign, the expertise of renowned colourist Dynamichrome was utilised to re-colour four LG- BTQ+ archive images. The featured images are:
A 1971 Gay Liberation Front protest in Trafalgar Square
A Lesbian Strength March in 1985, including prominent activist Femi Otitoju
Photos capturing Pride events heldin New York City in the 1970s.
The images will be donated to Queer Britain, a charity working to establish the first national LGBTQ+ museum.
Non-recycled Day
From September, all plastic bottles of 500ml or less produced by Coca-Cola Great Britain will be made using 100% recycled plastic. Coca-Cola’s use of recycled plastics in Great Britain now saves 29,000 tonnes of virgin plastic each year.
Lavazza smashes it
Lavazza has announced its 10th anniversary as the official coffee partner of The Wimbledon Championships. The company has also unveiled its Lavazza AModo Mio Voicy, the first coffee machine to be equipped with built-in Amazon Alexa.
Get moving
Burton’s Biscuit Company has brought back its Minis Get Moving on-pack promo which encourages children to get active by offering instant-win prizes across the Maryland Minis and Jammie Dodgers minis portfolio of 99 calorie snacks. The campaign runs from 1 July to 23 September.
Smoothie first
Müller is launching its first ever kefir product, Müller Kefir Smoothie. Gut friendly, it contains real fruit and is low in fat. It will be available in two 312ml variants: Raspberry & Pomegranate and Mango & Orange.RSP £1.30
Magical tour
A new on-pack competition gives consumers the chance to win a magical VIP Swizzels factory tour. Winners will be able to explore the Swizzels factory with up to three friends or family members, and have a go at creating their very own sweet.
Sugar saver
Petits Filous has launched two No Added Sugar flavours – Raspberry and Apple – into its Mess Free range. In July, the brand is also launching Mess Free in a single format to boost its on-the-go offering.RSPs: £2 / 65p
