Inventive and affective messaging is at the heart of most fast-moving consumer goods brands’ success. Which campaign has had the most effect on your sales this year?

1. Warburtons’ ‘Pride and Breadjudice’ 

This is the latest campaign bringing together Peter Kay with Warbur-tons. The message cements in viewers’ minds  the heritage of a company which, a century and a half after being founded, remains a family business. Bringing in Peter Kay to tell this tale guarantees laughs and a boost in the number of shares online. A focus on social media also underlines the brand’s heritage.

Did you know? Thomas and Ellen Warburton’s original business was a grocers shop, not a bakers.

2. Imperial 

Along with a growing number of gantry removals, the investment in Imperial’s ‘Suspect it? Report it’ communication campaign has been a vital part of the fight against illicit tobacco since the arrival of EUTPD II. Last month’s Budget contained another increase in tobacco prices and this may boost the illicit trade. This magazine will stand with suppliers in the fight against those who stock counterfeit tobacco.

Did you know? Illicit tobacco costs the UK government £446m a week in lost revenue.

3. Walker’s Choose Me or Lose Me 

Did they really mean it? The threat of losing Walkers Prawn Cocktail, classic Smoky Bacon or Salt & Vinegar disappeared after a public vote in November. Still, Paprika, Lime & Black Pepper and Bacon & Cheddar were brought over as best-selling flavours elsewhere in the world and who can tell how the market might change in a few years? You have been warned, Prawn Cocktail fans.

Did you know? Walker’s American sister brand Lay’s launched a cappuccino-flavoured crisp in 2014.  

4. Pernod Ricard’s ‘Mix With Good Stuff’ 

Making cocktails at home has been a growing trend for a number of years. Pernod Ricard’s Christmas 2017 campaign provides support to this seasonal opportunity, associating its top brands including Absolut and Plymouth Gin with classic cocktails such as espresso martinis and gin and tonic. According to the company, premium spirits see an uplift in sales of 100% as the festive season nears.

Did you know? The earliest known food pairing with gin was gingerbread.

5. Old Mout Cider’s Help Hatch a Kiwi 

Getting shoppers engaged through a charity that looks to protect wildlife has helped boost Heineken brand Old Mout’s profile. Each bottle sends 10p to the ‘Kiwis for Kiwi’ charity that helps improve the birds’ survival chances after a dramatic fall in their population. Heineken has invested £3m in this charity campaign. The company described the campaign as quirky and playful.

Did you know? Only one in 20 Kiwi birds survive into adulthood.