Gordon’s starts 12.5m campaign

UDV is spending 12.5m on a new campaign for Gordon’s Gin that attempts to straddle both the young-adult and middle-aged markets.

The campaign includes a TV and cinema ad aimed at recruiting drinkers aged 25 to 34. This is being supported by a sponsorship programme targeted at Gordon’s core drinkers – wealthy people over 45.

The TV commercial, developed by Leo Burnett, features a young man who loses a bundle of cash playing pool. He then drinks a Gordon’s and tonic and returns to the pool table, challenging the hall’s owner for the pool hall itself. The ad, which breaks on May 3, carries the tag-line “Gordon’s as experienced by a hustler”.

In contrast, the sponsorship programme sees Gordon’s continue support of the National Trust and a variety of gardening events, including a display at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Mark Jaffe, UDV’s senior brand manager for Gordon’s, says: We are trying to strike a balance of a large brand which has a large consumer base. [We want to] ensure all parts of our market find the campaign relevant to them.”

He says new research has found Gordon’s is competing against the wine market for its drinkers. They tend not to drink any other spirits, according to research.

The Gordon’s Perfect Serve training initiative, launched in 1996, will also be expanded to 3,500 clubs, pubs and bars as part of the push.