Carling Premier shelves ad plan

Marketing, Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 12:00am,

Molson Coors has scrapped its planned £1m advertising activity to support the relaunch of Carling Premier in favour of a below-the-line push.

The brand was to be backed this autumn by an outdoor campaign, created by Beattie McGuinness Bungay and targeting the on- and off-trade, after a spring relaunch.

However, a spokeswoman said the success of the relaunch, which aimed to reposition the beverage for an older demographic, had led the company to revise its plans and put the budget behind the on-trade with point-of-sale material, such as branded glasses, posters, drip-mats and staff clothing.

The 4.7% ABV beer, which was launched in 1994, has experienced a downturn in sales in recent years as consumers have opted for Continental alternatives.

The brand is now showing signs of recovery, with a 150% increase in on-trade volume sales in July compared with the same month in 2006, according to AC Nielsen.

This article was first published on Marketing