SABMiller gears up for low-calorie beer launch aimed at female drinkers

SABMiller is preparing to launch a low-calorie, apple-flavoured beer aimed at women, called Redd’s. The launch will mirror rival brewer Coors UK’s plans to launch Blue Moon beer to attract female drinkers (MW.co.uk July 21).

Coors-owned Blue Moon, initially trialled in pubs and bars, is an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat beer spiced with coriander and orange peel.

SABMiller claims Redd’s has an alcohol content of 4.5% but contains only 259 kilojoules of energy per 100ml to attract the calorie conscious. The beer is originally from South Africa and has already been introduced to the Russian and Eastern European markets and is expected to be rolled out across the UK later this year.

The brewer has appointed Avenue A/Razorfish to create a digital strategy for the launch, following a competitive pitch against LBi. The brief for the agency will initially be to develop a lifestyle web application for 18- to 24-year-old females in Russia. The lifestyle portal will include fashion and travel.

Charlie Hiscocks, marketing director from SABMiller, says: “We did not want to design a site that is simply a brand dump. Instead we wanted to create a portal where Redd’s women would want to visit every day; something and somewhere that would be directly relevant to our audiences everyday lives.”

Redd’s was first launched by SABMiller in March 1998 and has generated popularity in most Eastern European countries, where the beer is marketed using “Diva” bottles in fashion retailers and nightclubs.

The beer has also had some success in the African and Asian markets, and competes head-on with SABMiller’s Miller64 in the US.

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