Wine brand Blossom Hill has partnered with publisher Penguin Michael Joseph for a new consumer campaign this summer, Sharing Stories.
The campaign focuses on celebrating women and female authors, while aligning the Blossom Hill brand with casual summer drinking occasions shared with friends.
As one of the leading wine brands in the impulse category, Blossom Hill expects the Sharing Stories campaign to further support sales in this channel and in grocery. Running from May through to 14 August, the campaign champions three novels from female authors and encourages friends to cover the reads at their next book club, an ideal occasion to bring people together & share stories.
Novels include The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani, Other People’s Husbands by Elizabeth Noble and The Pink House by Catherine Alliot.
The campaign features an on-pack promotion across three SKUs, with entrants who purchase a bottle of either the Blossom Hill Classic White, Classic Red or White Zinfandel in with a chance to win £25 every hour, plus a chance to win a luxury beach house retreat and book bundle prize, including four sets of the three featured new summer paperback releases to enjoy with friends.
With 77 per cent of UK wine drinkers already aware of Blossom Hill, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, the campaign is expected to build brand recognition with Blossom Hill’s target market even further. Bottles featuring the on-pack promotion will be available across both grocery and impulse channels.
“We’re thrilled to be delivering a campaign that impactfully appeals to our target demographic and aligns with summer consumption moments for our core consumer,” Ben Blake, Head of Marketing, EMEA at Treasury Wine Estates, said.
“The three books from Penguin Michael Joseph are absolute page turners and I’m sure there will be many Blossom Hill lovers gathering with a chilled glass to discuss these novels this summer!”
Consumers can access a microsite which houses sample chapters of each of the three featured books and authors, alongside guidance and tips on how to create your own book club.
To support the campaign and help retailers maximise sales, Blossom Hill has an extensive 360 support package around the promotion including POS, social media activity, PR and ATL, to drive awareness and excitement.
Toffifee is on a mission to bring families together with its latest on-pack promotion. Starting from 1 May to 30 June, Toffifee is giving shoppers a thousand chances every week to download the latest films with a £5.50 voucher on Rakuten – creating the ultimate movie night.
With at-home socialising still an important part of family life, watching movies at home has become the UK’s #1 popular social activity, enjoyed regularly by a massive 87 per cent of people. This promotion supercharges confectionery purchases, adding extra value while driving in-store excitement by tapping into these unmissable moments.
Toffifee is supporting retailers in growing sales of boxed chocolate, which are the perfect accompaniment to a movie night at home. Toffifee’s brand momentum is stronger than ever, now valued at £14.5 million, up +7.5 per cent from last year, with volume growth of +4.3 per cent – outpacing the category. With 83 per cent of Big Night In purchases pre-planned, retailers can maximise sales by stocking up ahead of peak weekend demand.
“Toffifee and movies go hand in hand, as both have the power to bring families together for special shared moments together, with 64 per cent of consumers snacking to connect with others,” said Rebecca Robert, Marketing Director at Storck. “We’re excited to partner with Rakuten to make at-home movie nights even more special with the delicious taste of Toffifee.
“We know shoppers are being more cautious with their spending, but value-added initiatives like these, that extend beyond price promotions, are key to driving shopper interest. We’re confident that this, paired with POS that we are providing to drive awareness of the campaign, will help encourage more footfall to the confectionery aisle and help retailers drive more sales.”
The on-pack promotion, launching on 1 May, will be available across grocery, impulse and wholesale channels. To enter, shoppers simply need to purchase a 125g promotional pack of Toffifee and scan the QR code, and enter the unique code found inside. Winners will be chosen through weekly prize draws, giving them the chance to plan the ultimate movie night with Toffifee. For full T&Cs, please visit: www.toffifeeprizes.com
PWR-BRU, from IRN-BRU, the No. 1 Scottish grocery brand, is introducing its first new flavour innovation since launching in 2023. Dynamo Fruit Punch will be hitting shelves from April 2025 in a 500ml big can format.
“PWR-BRU has been packing a powerful flavour punch in the fast growing Scottish energy market since launch," said Kenny Nicholson, Head of IRN-BRU Brand. "The range, with its distinctive can design and real IRN-BRU essence, provides something unique and individual. This latest flavour innovation is arriving with retailers just in time to maximise profit opportunities in the summer sales peak.”
Scotland’s energy drinks market is the nation’s fastest growing category, adding the most value for retailers and selling an additional five million units per month during summer. Flavours are still driving these sales, as data shows flavoured SKUs are 60 per cent incremental to the market.
“We have been driving trial and frequency, achieving 35 per cent increase in penetration last year, thanks to our unbeatable flavours and unmistakable branding.
“Just two years after launch, PWR-BRU already has the third highest repeat purchase in stimulant energy, and we’re attracting three times the amount of ‘young shoppers’ vs. the rest of the category,” added Kenny.
Dynamo Fruit Punch performed incredibly well in consumer research with 93 per cent saying they would buy it and 81 per cent of shoppers who loved the taste. A full range of impactful and eye-catching PoS will be available for retailers to drive sales around launch and throughout summer.
Carlsberg Britvic has announced that 1664 Bière 0.0%, expertly brewed to contain no alcohol, will launch in the Off Trade this April, following a successful launch in the On Trade at the beginning of 2025.
Delivering the rich and balanced taste that 1664 is known for, the new product ensures that the 1664 range can be enjoyed on every occasion. 1664 Bière 0.0% will be available in 6x330ml sleek cans.
Joining Carlsberg Britvic’s roster of Low & No alcohol beers, ranging from Carlsberg 0.0 to Erdinger Alkoholfrei, 1664 Bière 0.0% draught has gained positive traction in the On Trade, with nearly 500 outlets already pouring. This will be further supported with a standalone branded fount launching in April for the On Trade channel across both 1664 Bière and 1664 Bière 0.0%.
1664 Bière 0.0% has performed strongly in consumer research ahead of the beer’s launch. Amongst consumers, 1664 Bière 0.0% was particularly recognised for its excellent taste, with consumer testing showing the brand’s favourability for taste was on par with the UK’s market leading alcohol-free beer*.
Carlsberg Britvic will support 1664 Bière 0.0% with a multimillion-pound marketing campaign launching from April across TV, Out of Home, social & digital display. The campaign will lead into the busy summer period when shoppers are hoping to enjoy the sun and a refreshing beer with family and friends, whether out at a picnic or at home with a barbeque.
The Low & No alcohol category has continued to attract new drinkers, with figures showing that 42.8 per cent of drinkers (21.2m) have said they are moderating their alcohol consumption in the past 12 months, an increase of 2.2m drinkers compared to 2016. The alcohol-free category is also the fastest growing (CAGR 14.6 per cent) with an over index with Gen Z and millennials.
“1664 has gone from strength to strength since we relaunched the brand last year. As the alcohol-free beer category continues to grow, we are thrilled to continue driving the 1664 brand to new heights with the launch of 1664 Bière 0.0% in the UK," said Dharmesh Rana, Director of Marketing for Premium Brands at Carlsberg Britvic.
“As consumers look to moderate their drinking across different occasions, whether that’s out with friends or at home with family, it’s essential that brands provide great-tasting options that don’t compromise on flavour or sophistication. 1664 Bière 0.0% is a perfectly balanced, flavourful and eminently sippable beer and we’re confident that this brand can go head-to-head with the market leader.”
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Strawberry flavour with a playful new look, perfect for family snacking.
Fox’s Burton’s Companies has announced the introduction of a limited-edition Strawberry flavour to the iconic Fox’s Party Rings range.
With a creamy taste and smooth finish, these sweet treats are available from today (24) with an RRP of £0.90 per 125g pack.
The limited-edition flavour is designed to engage and excite existing customers as well as bring in new users, with a particular focus on attracting families.
Strawberry was named the number-one flavour across all family age groups, with 85 per cent purchase intent – and with Party Rings featuring in 50 per cent of children’s occasions – it makes this new limited-edition flavour a must-stock for retailers wanting to boost family basket spend.
Party Rings Strawberry joins the Party Rings range, which includes biscuits for a variety of shopper needs and missions. From the classic, full-size Party Rings, through mini formats to the Party Rings Minis Chocolate flavour which launched back in 2023 and have proved popular with shoppers looking for on-the go snacking options.
“We know Party Rings fans love a new flavour and that flavour variants do a great job of attracting families, so we’re confident that the addition of Strawberry to the range will drive excitement amongst our customers and opens up incremental biscuit and basket spend," said Robin Norton, Head of Category Insight at FBC.
“The launch of this limited-edition range will also see the introduction of our brand-new look and feel designed to give the brand a more fun, modern appearance that will stand-out on shelf. We have some exciting things to come for Party Rings this year and this is just the first step on our journey to make sure we’re bringing more fun to the everyday for everyone!”
The brand refresh will see packaging across all flavours and formats updated to reflect the new, playful “colour me in” design. The new revamp will be completed by May 2025.
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Strawberry-flavored pig candy, Belgian chocolate, and premium popcorn.
March 2025 sees Popcorn Kitchen introduce Strawberry chocolate pigs in popcorn blankets as the latest addition to its home-popping portfolio. A fusion of fruit-themed pig candy, gourmet popping corn kernels and Belgian milk chocolate buttons, it allows any popcorn obsessive to make 14 generous portions.
Since its arrival in 2023 “Pop at Home” has become the business’s most successful new gifting launch with every topping from chocolate mini eggs and jellybeans, to peanut butter buttons, to novelty chocolate sprouts, festive chocolate coins and Rocky Road marshmallows. In 2024 sales grew by 95 per cent year-on-year.
“In an ever-changing global snacking landscape popcorn continues to shine, not least because of its unrivalled versatility, convenience and nostalgic associations,” said Co-Owner and Director Louise Monk.
“Whether we’re talking healthier, savoury, microwaveable or gourmet, popcorn retains the capacity to align with all manner of timeless flavours and turn heads. In particular, popcorn that aligns itself with high-end ingredients or cult childhood toppings are reaping the rewards for their ingenuity and daring-do.”
Pop-at-Home has shone in the UK’s growing gifting fixture which provides family friends, parents and grandparents to go the extra yard when visiting friends and family.