Heinz is launching a range of saucily named spicy bean meals aimed at young men. Beanz with Balls, Red Hot Balls and Big Saucy Bangers hit supermarket shelves in October and are being positioned as a premium option 'with a bite'. The cans of lamb meatballs, spicy meatballs and Lincolnshire sausage feature tabloid-style stories designed with innuendo-laden headlines such as 'A damn good filling', 'Heinz Beanz are hot to trot' and 'Hot action'. Heinz said the risqué packaging would create shelf standout for the new range. "Young active males with a huge appetite are not getting their fill from a regular can of baked beans. They want more," said brand marketer Lucy Cawkwell. "With Heinz Bean Meals we will satisfy this appetite, offering bean lovers a premium bean meal with substance." Consumption of baked beans among young males is increasing 4% year-on-year, said Cawkwell, who predicted the 99p newcomers would clock up sales of £5m in their first year. They had already been greeted enthusiastically by grocery buyers who "recognised the gap in the market for a filling, nutritionally sound bean meal," she said. Trading manager at MBL Shaun Quinton said Heinz had hit the spot with the "downright saucy" packaging, which he said would definitely attract the target audience. "Young males will love the product formats and with the Heinz branding, they're sure to be a success in the right location," he said, adding they should be sited on-shelf next to men's magazines such as Loaded and Playboy. The launch is the latest plank in Heinz's strategy to grow the overall beans category. It has already launched Heinz Snap Pots and Heinz Limited Edition Baked Beanz with HP sauce this year. "By introducing premium offerings we will encourage shoppers to spend more per trip and grow the overall market," said Cawkwell.

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