Tim Palmer Carlsberg-Tetley has topped the league of big spending brewers by announcing a staggering £45m budget for its two key lager brands this year. The giant spend beats the £42m Interbrew is putting behind Boddingtons and Stella Artois, and is more than double the £20m being invested in Carling by Coors Brewers A massive £28m alone of Carlsberg-Tetley's spend is going on its two leading brands, Carlsberg Lager and Export, including new TV adverts set to hit screens in spring. Both are also moving into new packaging and bottle formats which will be on the shelves next month. The remaining £17m earmarked will go on backing throughout this year. There will be more emphasis on the colour green for Carlsberg Lager and the word lager' is being dropped Export will be repositioned to compete more effectively in the premium sector and will be supported by Danish supermodel Helena Christiansen, who will be featured with the brand. The brewer has also introduced a 660ml bottle to the range. A major slice of the activity this year will be designed to boost sales during the World Cup, as Carlsberg is the official beer of the England team. MD Doug Clydesdale is working to ensure the brand does as well as it did during Euro 2000 when sales went up 300%. He also plans to compete aggressively throughout the year. "We will not be taken to the cleaners and we will compete wherever the benchmark prices are," he said. "We intend to claim our share of the action and will not be left behind." {{DRINKS }}

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