Picks of the Week

MÜLLER TARGETS DIGESTIVE HEALTH MARKET WITH LATEST CAMPAIGN

A new advert will air until 7 March on TV, on demand and YouTube.

Müller Yogurt & Desserts has launched a multimillion pound marketing campaign to showcase Gut Glory, its new gut health yogurt brand.

A new advert airs from 24 January until 7 March on TV, on demand and YouTube. To drive further trial of the big pot range, the brand is offering shoppers a ‘try me free’ offer which allows Gut Glory shoppers to receive a full refund by filling out an online claim form.

The campaign also includes in-store activity and features across social media and influencer channels.

Gut Glory is a creamy yogurt which contains live cultures. It is a source of calcium and is made in Shropshire using milk from British farms.

The Gut Glory range is available in two pack sizes. Shoppers can choose 450g big pots, available in Salted Caramel and Strawberry with fibre and four-pack single flavour 125g pots, in Strawberry, Rhubarb and Peach & Mango with fibre.

Justin Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Müller Yogurt & Desserts, said: “As we accelerate the development of our business, we intend to set the pace in the categories we serve and innovate to expand our reach, and with Gut Glory, there is a unique growth opportunity for an exciting and contemporary gut-health brand.

“We have developed a modern gut health brand that doesn’t just focus on the science, and our campaign reflects this.

“Our research suggested that potential new shoppers were put off by existing gut health options that were too functional, clinical or scientific, so our campaign is bold, irreverent, animated and fun, which should really help Gut Glory stand out from the crowd.”

MONSTER KICKS OFF 2022 WITH NEW VARIANT AND FRESH CAMPAIGN

The Monster Ultra Watermelon variant will be available in plain and price-marked 500ml packs for shoppers to consume on-the-go.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is launching the no-calories, no-sugar Monster Ultra Watermelon coupled with a new snowsportthemed promotion for the line.

Rolling out from the beginning of February, Monster Ultra Watermelon offers a watermelon flavour boasting no calories and no sugar.

It will be available in plain and price-marked 500ml packs for shoppers to consume on-the-go. It will also come in four-can multipacks to capitalise on the popularity of the home-based energy drink occasions that accelerated during the pandemic, and that have boosted demand for larger pack formats, according to research.

The new variant and campaign activity are designed to fuel continued momentum behind the Monster brand and the wider energy drinks sector, now worth £1.4bn in Great Britain.

Martin Attock, Vice President of Commercial Development at CCEP GB, said: “Two-thirds of CCEP’s volume sales now come from low and no sugar variants – that’s 40% more than 10 years ago. The seven-strong Monster Ultra range is playing a big part in our low sugar success story and continues to grow at a rate of more than 57%.

“We know there’s big demand in the market for new and exciting flavours, especially in the low-calorie energy drinks segment. But it’s important to note that we will continue to offer choice across the whole Monster portfolio – and we recommend that our customers do the same.

“That’s why we’ve also invested in our core range recently, with the launch of a refreshed Monster Assault, which has a full-on flavour and a great-looking camo print can for maximum impact on-shelf.”

The new promotion includes a snowsport experience up for grabs, with the winner enjoying three days of skiing or snowboarding in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, with accommodation, lift pass and equipment rental, and exclusive Monster Energy hospitality, along with a meet-and-greet with high-profile Monster athletes.

Retailers who want to drive excitement in-store with high-impact snowsport-themed POS materials can request kits from My.CCEP.com

BATCHELORS PAIRS UP WITH POKÉMON

The promotion, which launches in the same week as the Pokémon Legends: Arceus video game, will be supported by in-store activity.

Batchelors is kicking off 2022 with an exclusive partnership with Pokémon, offering shoppers a raft of prizes through an on-pack promotion and campaign.

Rolling out in stores across the country from 27 January, the promotion launches in the same week as the Pokémon Legends: Arceus video game and comes at a time when the UK boasts the position of sixth-largest gaming market in the world. It will be supported by in-store activity.

The promo sees Pokémon characters feature across the Super Noodles and Pasta ‘n’ Sauce ranges, with shoppers able to win 100 prizes weekly, like Nintendo Switch Consoles, Pokémon plush, copies of the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl games and cards from the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

With 50% of gamers claiming they would opt for quick meal solutions, the partnership aims to help the brand appeal to more shoppers across more occasions.

Naomi Shooman, Brand Director for quick meals, soups and snacks at Premier Foods, said: “Our on-pack promotion will give shoppers the chance to win a range of prizes and Pokémon products set to attract new shoppers to the category and encourage existing Batchelors fans to grab a pot or pack of Super Noodles or Pasta ‘n’ Sauce more often.”

Given Batchelors’ popularity with 35 to 44-yearolds and Pokémon’s appeal with younger adults, Shooman said the partnership was a “recipe for success.”

FERRERO BRINGS BACK REFRESHED EASTER RANGES

The Monster Ultra Watermelon variant will be available in plain and price-marked 500ml packs for shoppers to consume on-the-go.

Ferrero UK is introducing a revamped selection of its seasonal lines for Easter, including Kinder Joy, Ferrero Collection Crispy Eggs, and Thorntons Classic Egg.The visual updates aim to help retailers make the most of both self-treating and gifting opportunities in the run-up to Easter.

Thorntons is also undergoing a packaging refresh to provide more sustainable options to shoppers this year.

The miniature egg Kinder Joy is returning. Splitting in two, one half contains layers of cocoa and milk cream, while the other contains a toy and a paper spoon. Kinder is also making packaging design improvements across its range with a more distinctive design and refreshed Easter bunny image to maintain relevance for the brand during the season.

Kinder has also debuted a free mobile app, Applaydu, to bring its toys to life through augmented reality, “inviting users to a world of discovery and imagination”. In addition, the Ferrero Collection Crispy Eggs T10 are returning in hazelnut and cocoa flavours. Also making a comeback are the Ferrero Rocher 300g and the Ferrero Rocher Boxed Egg 275g, the Ferrero Rocher Flame Egg 212g and the Grand Ferrero Rocher 125g, ideal for gifting.

Furthermore, Thorntons will see its range of moulded figures relaunched with two new Happy Bunny SKUs. The bunny will have a refreshed look and feel, with a more modern packaging design to bring it to life on shelf.

Finally, the Thorntons Classic Easter egg range will be available in two different formats – 150g and 220g – with the larger format supporting retailers in driving trade-up opportunities.

Thorntons will also remove plastic windows across its eight bestselling Easter eggs, as part of Ferrero’s commitment to make 100% of its packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

DESSERTS-TO-GO FROM ANGEL DELIGHT

The ready-to-eat dessert pots are vegetarian-friendly and are HFSS compliant.

Premier Foods has launched two ready-to-eat dessert pots from Angel Delight into the convenience channel, designed specifically for food-to-go chillers. Both Chocolate & Salted Caramel and Butterscotch & Chocolate variants are under 120 calories, are vegetarian-friendly and are non-HFSS. They come with a significant shelf-life benefit over existing to-go chiller desserts and are available now in 100g pots with a £1 RSP. Packaging is fully recyclable. Ben Knop, Food-to-go Innovation Manager for Premier Foods, commented: “These new Angel Delight pots are an ideal solution for growing the choice of desserts for consumers shopping food-to-go. They taste great and are light enough for those looking for a sweet treat without the guilt. Angel Delight is a well-known, much-loved brand and it has grown 10% in the last year, bringing in 1.1 million new consumers to the brand. “This range gives retailers something new to broaden the choice of their food-to-go chilled desserts offering, while crucially remaining HFSS compliant and helping to grow the on-the-go desserts category. The light, bubbly texture and delicious flavours really appeal to shoppers looking for a light treat, while the convenient format and long shelf life make the launch well suited to retailers to bolster their sweet offering in their chillers.” For more information and advice, retailers can visit Premier Foods’ dedicated website for the convenience channel.

TYPHOO BRINGS ITS ’OO BACK

The three-month campaign includes a consumer stunt, mass experiential sampling, radio advertising and sponsorships, PR, and social media.

Typhoo has launched its first brand campaign in almost five years.

The three-month ‘OO Please campaign includes a huge consumer stunt with visual projection, mass experiential sampling, radio advertising and sponsorships, PR, and social media.

The campaign kicked off with shoppers in Liverpool witnessing a Typhoo takeover of locations throughout the city centre, alongside consumer sampling.

Des Kingsley, Chief Executive of Typhoo Tea, said: “Typhoo has always been known for its bold, cheeky personality and our new campaign sets out to re-engage the nation’s tea drinkers with our iconic ‘OO.

“The ‘OO Please campaign gives the infamous ‘OO in Typhoo a new lease of life. We’ve put this to the test and the ‘OO’ in Typhoo perfectly expresses the emotion of being asked if you would like a brew. ‘Brew? ‘OO Please’.”

Kingsley continued: “We are very confident that, as we increase our marketing focus and distribution, demand for our iconic, quality brand will be particularly strong amongst the nation’s tea shoppers.

“We want to re-establish ourselves as one of the nation’s best loved tea brands and deliver profitable growth in the UK and internationally. We’re advising retailers to stock up on Typhoo brands as product awareness will be at an all-time high.”

LU LAUNCHES IN UK

The biscuit brand is rolling with four variants.

Mondelez is launching its French biscuit brand LU in the UK with four variants: Le Petit Chocolat, Le Petit Beurre, Le Petit Biscotte, and Le Petit Citron.

Le Petit Beurre (167g, RSP £1.50, cases of six) is based on the brand’s original biscuit from 1886. Its oblong shape took inspiration from French tea mats used at the time. The additional design flourishes reflect the calendar year – 4 corner ears for the 4 seasons, 52 teeth for each week of the year and 24 indents for the 24 hours of each day.

Le Petit Chocolat (150g, RSP £1.50, case size 14) pairs the Petit Beurre with a layer of milk chocolate. It features the ‘Petit Ecolier’ (little schoolboy) figure, moulded into the chocolate and designed by French painter Firmin Bouisset.

Le Petit Citron (140g, RSP £1.50, cases of seven) brings a soft texture and delicate lemon flavour to the range, while Le Petit Biscotte (200g, RSP £1.50, case size 10) pairs the flavours of brown sugar and cinnamon with a rich crunchy texture.

Charlotte Parkes, Senior Brand Manager at LU, said: “It’s not every day that you can say you’ve worked with a French icon. LU’s range is a real treat, and these treats are sure to be a hit with biscuit lovers in the UK.

“With these four varieties, we bring something truly unique to shelves. Each with their own irresistible flavour, these recipes have more than stood the test of time.”

PMP POWER

Flavoured milk brand Yazoo has overhauled its price-marked pack portfolio. Rolling out from the beginning of February, Yazoo’s 1 litre bottles will be available as a £1.79 PMP, while the core 400ml bottles will be price-marked at £1.15, with an additional flash showing a new ‘2 for £2’ offer.

PAPER TUBS

Ice cream brand Carte D’Or has transitioned its entire range from plastic tubs to responsibly sourced, recyclable paper tubs and lids. The packaging move, which is set to save over 900 tonnes of virgin plastic in the UK annually, also includes a refresh to help it stand out in the freezer.

ZERO NICOTINE VAPES

Geek Bar’s new range of zeronicotine disposable 575 puffvapes is available in Pink Lemonade,Sweet Strawberry, MangoIce, Passion Fruit, Banana Ice, Sour Apple, Watermelon Ice,Blueberry Ice, Strawberry IceCream, and Grape flavours.

NEW YEAR, NEW BEAR

Kids fruit snacking brand Bearhas started 2022 with a new lookacross its Yoyos range that highlightsthe fun, taste and healthcredentials of the products, tobetter resonate with parents andchildren and attract more shoppersto the brand.

REGAL LOOK

Chivas Regal has unveiled a new look for its flagship blend, which sees an overhaul of Chivas 12’s bottle, label and pack. The bottle has been reshaped and elongated, while still retaining its recognisable rounded shoulders, and the crest has been redesigned.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

Yazoo is relaunching Choc Carameldue to consumer demand.The fans’ favourite variant willbe available in standard andprice-marked packs of 400mlin convenience and wholesalefrom early February, along witha one-litre format.