Nestlé Rowntree is extending confectionery stalwart Polo into hanging bags for the first time on August 28 with the launch of Polo Smoothies. The new red and white striped, individually wrapped, strawberries and cream flavoured Polo incarnation is one third bigger than the original (rsp 99p; 156g). A £3m marketing campaign ­ including TV advertising ­ is planned for spring 2001. Brand manager Sam Comley said the new variant continued the Polo strategy of "moving away from being seen as purely a mint brand". Launched in 1948, Polo's first variant was Polo Fruits in 1953. The portfolio now includes Gummies, Spearmint, Super Mints, Super OJs, Citrus Sharps and Butter Ups. In March, Storck owned Bendicks backed the launch of Campino sweets (in two flavours including strawberries and cream) with £6m. {{P&P }}

Topics