Burton’s picks agency for 4m Bertolli-branded snack launch

Burton’s Food has added Hooper Galton to its roster to handle the 4m
launch of a new range of Bertolli-branded snack foods. The agency won
the business without a pitch.

The company also works with McCann Erickson, which handles the Jammy
Dodger bra…

Burton’s Food has added Hooper Galton to its roster to handle the £4m launch of a new range of Bertolli-branded snack foods. The agency won the business without a pitch.

The company also works with McCann Erickson, which handles the Jammy Dodger brand, and Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which works on the Cadbury range. It is not thought that either agency is affected by the appointment.

The new range, which is due to be launched this spring, will be Bertolli-branded and will be made under a licence agreement with Unilever. It is thought to be the first time that Burton’s has extended into the savoury snacks market.

Unilever is known to be keen to develop the Bertolli brand out of its core pasta sauce and olive oil categories. It is understood it is planning to launch Bertolli into chilled ready meals later this year (MW March 1) and has extended it into frozen ready meals in the US.

The new snacks range will sit alongside products such as Snack-a-Jacks and Ryvita in the supermarket and will come in three variants. But insiders claim the product is different to what is already available in the better-for-you savoury snacks category.

Burton’s, which is owned by Texan venture capitalist Hicks Muse Tate & Furst, already makes a number of Cadbury products, including Cadbury Fingers and Highlights, under licence from the confectionery giant. It also makes Lyons Biscuits and a range of private-label products.