Cobra tempts consumers into enjoying a curry
Cobra Beer is unveiling a £5m advertising campaign playing heavily on its association with curry.
The ads aim to focus on the beer brand’s Indian provenance and “less fizzy” recipe, positioning it as “the perfect beer to have with curry”. It will include broadcast, press and radio advertising, and has been created by BMB.
Cobra says it aims “to target curry fans throughout the day to get them craving for a curry and a Cobra come the evening.”
The press advertising will be supported by a series of advertorials to give curry fans the perfect excuse to have a curry night, while radio advertisements feature the familiar voice of Sheridan Smith, star of TV comedy Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and Legally Blonde the musical.
The brand will also advertise on 118118 texts when consumers request details for a local curry restaurant or takeaway and will enhance its Facebook group “We Love Curry”, which has over 75,000 fans.
Experiential activity will also see the brand feature in a host of events including Cobra’s Brick Lane Curry Festival and National Curry Week in November.
Cobra brewing is set to commence at Molson Coors’ flagship brewery in Burton this week, a year after the brand was added to the Molson Coors portfolio.
Kevin Wallace, brand director of the Cobra Beer Partnership, says: “We see Cobra as an integral part of the curry night experience. Our campaign shows our commitment to the curry industry and underlines the three essential elements to the best curry night – Cobra, curry and company.”
The new owners of Cobra Beer are looking to position the brand as the beer to drink with spicy food at home as well as in restaurants.
The Cobra Beer Partnership, a joint venture between Molson Coors and the brand’s founder Lord Karan Bilimoria, says £10m will be invested in marketing the brand over the next three years to tap into the “potential of ethnic food and beer dining”.
The Cobra Beer Partnership was formed after Cobra went into administration in May. The brand was then bought by Molson, which has a 50.1% stake and Bilimoria, who owns 49.9%.
Rival Kingfisher has sought to challenge Cobra Beer as the lager to drink with Indian food in the past.
