Diageo set to reinstate axed Pimm’s variant with ecommerce push

Diageo plans to sell a variant of its Pimm’s brand online after caving into consumer pressure to revive the drink just months after it was pulled from shelves.

Diageo will sell Pimm's No.6 Vodka Cup online next summer.
Diageo will sell Pimm’s No.6 Vodka Cup online next summer.

The drinks maker will relaunch Pimm’s No.6 Vodka Cup, a vodka-based liqueur version of its famous spirit, next summer with a targeted marketing campaign. It could see the drink sold online through retail partnerships from its Bar.com pan-European cocktail portal or through online vendors such as Amazon as it has done in the past.

A spokeswoman for Diageo says: “We are finalising the details of how Pimm’s No.6 Vodka Cup will be available and are investigating opportunities to sell it online among a few other avenues. Although our marketing plans aren’t set in stone yet, we’re planning on Pimm’s No.6 popping up at some events where our consumers are used to seeing Pimm’s.”

The move comes after Pimm’s No.6 Vodka Cup was cut from shelves earlier this year following low demand. It sparked uproar from the drink’s fans, who flooded the brand team with emails, social media posts and letters pleading for its return.

Diageo says it has been “overwhelmed” by the support shown for the brand, which originally launched in 1964, and is “delighted” to bring it back.

An online launch for the Pimms variant will give Diageo another chance to assess opportunities for expansion into the ecommerce arena. The drinks maker, like other FMCG companies, is treading carefully around online selling in order to ensure it doesn’t undermine relationships with retailers.

However, as distribution and scale become a key part of upcoming marketing initiatives, the business is keen to maximise the opportunities for more targeted, cost effective results that channels such as virtual stores can open up.

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