C-T to take on Foster’s with 6m XXXX relaunch

Carlsberg-Tetley is expected to relaunch Castlemaine XXXX this summer with a 6m campaign to take on rival Aussie lager Foster’s.

Industry sources suggest the new campaign for the once high profile Castlemaine may return to the brand’s original and still famous tagline: “Australians wouldn’t give a XXXX for anything else.” The tagline was replaced in 1996 after 12 years with a new one that read: “Fresh as a XXXX.”

Carlsberg-Tetley marketing director Doug Clydesdale will not confirm or deny the relaunch.

He says: “The only thing I would say is that within the mix XXXX is strategically important.

“It is being reviewed as part of our brand planning process. There is nothing coming up in the immediate future.”

However, Carslberg-Tetley has been systematically reworking its brands. Last year Carlsberg, Carlsberg Export and Tetley’s all featured in campaigns worth 3m, 10m and 6m respectively.

According to a survey by research company BMRB, Castlemaine had 6.8 per cent of the lager market in 1993, but that was down to 3.6 per cent last year.

By contrast, Scottish Courage’s competing Australian brand Foster’s, is growing at a rate of ten per cent a year, according to the company’s most recent results.

A new campaign for Foster’s was launched recently through M&C Saatchi using the tagline: “He who drinks Australian, thinks Australian.”