Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) has teamed up with Pixie Lott to launch Brutal Fruit Cider in the UK off-trade.
Multipacks of 4x330ml cans (rsp: £5.19) of the cider are available via Bestway wholesale, while 500ml bottles (rsp: £2.50) have rolled into Asda stores.
The South African fruit cider, which offered “a delicately fruity, brutally refreshing blend of ruby apple, citrus and subtle spice notes” would help draw younger legal drinking age consumers back to the fruit cider category, BBG said.
Citing CGA and NIQ data, BBG said the UK cider category represented a “huge opportunity of £2.9bn in sales”, but was losing relevance with younger and female drinkers.
Declining category participation of 18 to 34-year-old drinkers resulted in a loss of £22m in the off-trade over the past year, it said [Kantar 52 w/e 6 June 2023].
The “refreshingly light” Brutal Fruit Cider and its “sophisticated, eye-catching and visually appealing serve” was well positioned to meet the needs of these consumers, BBG claimed.
“With cider being a huge growth opportunity, we are looking forward to bringing innovation in the form of Brutal Fruit Cider to directly address younger consumer needs,” said BBG off-trade sales director Mark Wingfield Digby. “Brutal Fruit is a resounding success in South Africa where it was the third most valuable alcohol brand in 2023 and fastest-growing in its segment.”
To promote the brand’s UK launch, BBG has enlisted the help of British musician and television star Pixie Lott.
Lott was chosen to promote Brutal Fruit Cider “due to her ability to connect with people in a refreshing and authentic way”, BBG said.
She would appear in “an exciting calendar of events” including at Chestertons Polo in the Park, where Brutal Fruit was the official sponsor of Ladies Day, it added.
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