Heineken launches Bulmers Zesty Blood Orange and Desperados Red

If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your alcohol chillers, Heineken is launching Bulmers Zesty Blood Orange and Desperados Red to help you do just that.

Zesty Blood Orange is available in 586ml bottles and is supported by a £5m campaign, which includes a re-cut version of the ‘live colourful’ TV ad and outdoor advertising.

Craig Clarkson, category & trade marketing director – off-trade for Heineken, said sweeter ciders and drinks that are less bitter will continue to drive growth and popularity of the category. “Five years ago the category suffered from a lack of relevance, we weren’t bringing new people in and when we were we weren’t retaining them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Desperados Red, a tequila flavoured beer with guarana and cachaça targeted towards younger adult consumers, is available in packs of 3x330ml bottles, RRP £6.85. It is supported by outdoor and digital advertising and PoS. A sampling campaign targeting city centres, festivals and student unions will reach 500k consumers between May and September.

Martin Porter, UK sales managing director – off-trade for Heineken, said the beers, wines and spirits category is performing well. “Consumers are looking at price, brand and value closer than ever before. Consumer confidence is coming back but the share of disposable income in beers, wines and spirits is not as significant as we might expect,” he added.

Heineken has also developed its Star Retailers scheme to include cash rewards. Rewards are earned by following three pieces of advice on ranging, category and space, as well as additional incentives for maintaining an off-shelf display unit and sharing EPoS data by email.