BRANDS NEWS

WKD’S KEBAB SHOP GUIDER

The WKD Good Kebab Guide has been launched by brand owner, Beverage Brands. Described as a salad-dodger’s guide to the UK’s best kebabs, the publication was produced by a team of specially- commissioned writers who covered over 2,000 kebab miles and tasted a belt-busting 200-plus kebabs in order to compile the first compre- hensive guide to the very best kebab houses in the UK.

In addition to detailing the top kebab shops in cities throughout the UK, the WKD Good Kebab Guide offers tips on kebab-eating etiquette, interesting facts about chillies, kebab trivia, a kebab quiz and the top 10 kebab movies (with ‘License to Grill’ coming in at num- ber three).

The 120-page guide is available to consumers via a range of WKD activities, including on-line com- petitions, in-outlet promotions and links with men’s lifestyle maga- zines. It is also being sold directly on-line.

Food and drink writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham scoured the best kebab houses to research the book, and named 10 regional winners as they toured the UK in the WKD Kebab Cab. Outlet ranking was based on challenging and extremely important criteria such as looks, taste, chilli-factor, price and after-effects.

Zulfi’s in Leeds was crowned the National Winner and top kebab shop in the UK. Debs Carter, marketing director for Beverage Brands, said that the kebab guide would ‘entertain and amuse’ readers. “The book will be particularly helpful for people who fancy a quality kebab, but doner where to go,” she said. Geddit?

TIGER’S ‘KNOWN UNKNOWNS’

‘Know The Not Known’ is the title of an integrated digital campaign designed to drive trial and visibil- ity and target a young, urban adult audience towards Far Eastern lager brand, Tiger beer.

Tiger will work with participat- ing pubs and bars in London and will rely upon existing digital media platforms, such as its facebook pages, websites and consume databases. The campaign wil recognise and reward good exam- ples of brand recommendation and visibility through a mystery tipping campaign. Consumers will be chal- lenged to find and follow Tiger ref- erences in campaign artwork to gain access to events and offers. The campaign went live last month (October) and will be sup- ported by a mix of on and offline platforms. While full-page advertisements will run in key lifestyle magazines it is the digital basis of the promo- tion that will drive the Know The Not Known campaign.

According to Jason Wills, senior brand manager of Tiger Beer, the campaign has put the on-trade at the heart of things. “We believe that working closely with cus- tomers and their digital platforms is the most appropriate way to bring the brand to life in all our on trade outlets,” he said.

BAILEYS SAYS ‘LET’S DO IT AGAIN’

A new communications campaign for Baileys, which breaks globally over the festive season, is themed along the lines of ‘Baileys, let’s do this again’. Philip Almond, the Irish cream brand’s global brand director, said that the key message of the new campaign was that Baileys is a drink loved by its consumers around the world. “It’s simply a delicious drink, which can be savoured with friends at any time, all year round.”

For a festive promotional cam- paign, there is a marked lack of Christmas trees and this is a delib- erate ploy. The idea is to remind consumers of the joy of those sim- ple, spontaneous moments spent in the company of friends, explained Almond. “We’ll see a lighter tone from the brand,” said Almond, as Baileys takes a step into a new, more sociable, ‘any time’. The ‘Let’s do this again’ call to action, runs throughout all global communica- tions: including television, print, digital, PR and experiential.

BENGAL LANCER RETURNS

Fuller’s Bengal Lancer has made a return to clubs and pubs as part of Fuller’s exciting seasonal range. Bengal Lancer is a full-bodied, tra- ditional India Pale Ale that has proved popular with drinkers. The cask version will be exclusive to selected Fuller’s pubs in November before being available in the free trade. Bottled Bengal Lancer has been available permanently in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s since it was launched and is selling extremely well, according to Fuller's.

John Roberts, managing director of Fuller's, said that Bengal Lancer was an instant hit when it was launched in February 2010 and has become an established favourite in the Fuller’s portfolio. He said that the bottled version has been doing very well in supermarkets too. “The reaction from our customers was more than we could have hoped for and shows how much interest there is in quality, crafted cask ales," Roberts said.

MORGENROT IS THE FISCHER KING

Morgenrot Group’s world beer expansion programme has been completed for 2010 after the com- pany secured an exclusive distribu- tion deal for Heineken’s French beer brand, Fischer. The brand joins Morgenrot’s existing ‘world beer’ offering which has seen huge growth in the past 12 months. The company believes that Fischer will provide it with an ultra-premium French brand to complement its strong European offering, which includes Spanish favourites Cruzcampo and Alham- bra - both of which have seen sales growth of 20 per cent - plus Ger- man brands Krombacher and Kaiserdom.

The Fischer range to be distrib- uted in the UK includes Fischer Tra- dition (6 per cent abv) - a Biere d’Alsace golden lager - and Fischer Reserve Ambree (6.3 per cent abv) - a moreish, amber beer. Both beers are available in 65cl swing top bottles. Graham Archibald, Morgenrot’s senior national account manager, said that the addition of the Fischer brand completes a hugely success- ful period for the company in

STRONGER RUGBY BOND FOR GUINNESS

Rugby and Guinness have a stronger bond following the sign- ing of a series of international and domestic sponsorship deals with the English Rugby Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby (SRU), Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and Premiership Rugby. The success of the Guinness Pre- miership has enabled the brand to engage with a wider rugby audi- ence and talk to the game’s fan- base.

The new campaign, fronted by England flanker and Rugby World Cup winner Lewis Moody, Welsh full-back Lee Byrne and Scottish speedster Sean Lamont, will give fans the inside track on their team via exclusive video diaries and will feature in point-of-sale branding in pubs and clubs around the UK. Fans can also log on to the Guinness Facebook site (www.facebook.com/guinnessgb) to debate who are the top teams of the week and win rugby-related prizes.

According to John Roscoe, mar- keting director of Guinness GB, a pint of the black stuff is the perfect accompaniment to a game of rugby. He said that the new part- nerships will give the brand it’s largest ever presence in rugby and demonstrate its long-term com- mitment to the game. “We’re all about enriching the occasions when fans watch rugby with their close friends, so we are encouraging fans, whoever their team is and wherever they watch the rugby, to experience it together over a pint of the black stuff,” Roscoe said.

HEINEKEN’S REAL-LIFE WALK- IN FRIDGE

A Heineken walk-in fridge, made famous in the brand’s latest inter- net viral, was hidden behind a Heineken advert in London’s Duke of York Square for three days last month. It was guarded by two doormen and if passers-by gave them the correct password to the question “How Many Edges are there on a Heineken Star?” the six- sheet advert would swing open to a blast of chilly air with dry ice while dramatic music played to reveal a real life walk-in fridge.

On entering, a barman appeared to greet his customers with a cold Heineken while a mysterious figure at the bar delivered sleight of hand magic tricks and mind-reading. When the visitors finished their drink the barman guided them to the door and handed them a card enti- tling them to a free Heineken at The Cadogan Arms pub in Chelsea. Heineken was able to create excitement about the stunt in the week leading up to its launch by creating hype with bloggers and posting a series of teasers, clues and details on its Facebook page and via Twitter. Approximately 300 peo- ple were expected to experience the activity first hand, and Heineken believes it could reach nearly 400,000 consumers using social media channels.

The Heineken walk-in fridge advert became an internet sensa- tion with more than 15 million views and was later screened on British television and in cinemas. It shows a woman’s friends, cheering as she proudly displays her shoe collection in her walk-in wardrobe, only to be drowned-out by screams of delight when her partner reveals his walk-in Heineken fridge. The campaign, originally made for Dutch television, has become a world-wide success for the brand.

“The walk-in fridge advert has been a phenomenal success and Heineken wanted to bring the experience directly to the public,” said Heineken brand manager, Julia Rodger. “We’ve used social media as a way to encourage news about the brand and the activity to spread as far as possible,” she said.