Britvic faces supermarket delisting threat despite 2.4m Drench revamp

Drench, the Britvic-owned water brand, is struggling to get listings in supermarkets, despite a £2.4m overhaul.

It is understood that the revamp of its packaging has failed to make an impact on retailers and has done little to make it distinct from rival brands. Sources say it is “just another bottled water”.

Britvic is keen to broaden Drench’s appeal. It was originally conceived as a youth brand, but it has since been targeted at older people.

One supermarket insider says Britvic needs to put more promotional support behind the brand to help establish it. Other observers believe Britvic should axe Drench and invest heavily in launching its premium water brand, Ballygowan, in the UK.

The revamp of the product included changing the bottle to an easy-grip shape with a sports cap. The redesign was accompanied by an ad campaign, created by CHI & Partners, which had the strapline “Your brain is 75% water – keep it topped up, stay drenched”.

The ad, which featured an illustration of a brain in a plant pot, caused complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about it being in bad taste.

A spokeswoman for Britvic says the water brand is expecting strong growth this year. She says/ “The new packaging and marketing for Drench has performed very well. During the summer sales period it outperformed its key competitors and our consumer tracking research shows the mental hydration message was effective and differentiated.”