Branston pickle is to be advertised on TV for the first time in five years as its new owner ploughs £6m into a marketing push for the brand.

The ad, which debuts on 5 December, will use the ‘Bring out the Branston’ slogan made famous in the 1970s and 80s. Japanese soy sauce and vinegar giant Mizkan, which acquired the sweet pickles and sauces business from Premier Foods for £92.5m last October, said the ad would stress the brand’s British heritage.

Branston currently held a 37% share of the £30m chutney and relish category, said Mizkan, adding that there was “major headroom” to grow the brand.

The ad plays on the relationship between a young boy and his hapless dad struggling to make birthday cake and build a toy rocket. The dad redeems himself by bringing out the Branston for his son’s lunch to ‘Make It Special’.

TV activity was being targeted at parents, particularly housewives aged 45-plus, but the campaign would also use outdoor, on-pack and digital support to target younger consumers.

“We’re trying to tap into the emotional attachment people have for this product ,” said Paul Shanahan, MD at Mizkan Europe, a subsidiary of Mizkan, which also acquired the Haywards pickles and Sarson’s vinegar brands from Premier last year.

“There’s an opportunity to do things differently but in a way that doesn’t mess with the heritage,” he said, adding that Branston sauce and relish were in line for a marketing makeover next year.

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