Bulmers plans offensive to regain ground from Magners

Scottish & Newcastle is launching its first advertising campaign for Bulmers Original since it was relaunched earlier this year. The brewer aims to win back share from rival Magners Irish Cider.

The outdoor campaign, which was created by Glasgow-based agency Frame, will include posters across London, including the London Underground, and Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The posters show a glass of Bulmers Original served over ice.

Rival Magners has currently "taken over" London’s Waterloo underground station, with an autumn campaign showing images of cider apples and a cider orchard.

Magners was only rolled out nationally in March this year and it has already been credited with reviving a stagnant cider market with the "over ice" proposition. The product has been so successful that it has faced distribution problems and has failed to meet demand in some cases (MW September 14).

Ironically, Magners is sold under the brand name Bulmers in its native Republic of Ireland. Its owner, Irish food and drinks group C&C, owns the Bulmers brand in Ireland, while S&N owns it in the UK.

Meanwhile, West Country-based cider company Brothers Drinks is to launch its first above-the-line advertising campaign.

A series of ads have been created by WWAV in Bristol, and will initially be appearing in trade publications before rolling out to consumer magazines in the New Year.

The ads focus on a traditional cider orchard, but with a twist – it is a pear orchard, to underline the fact that the company specialises in pear cider, or perry.