New UK look for Up&Go breakfast drink range

Life Health Foods has given Up&Go a major overhaul in a bid to better tap the fast-growing breakfast drink trend and extend the Austalian brand into other meal occasions.

Having launched in the UK in early 2015 with the £1.1m Aussies Suck campaign, the brand currently stands at just £1.3m in value sales in a flavoured milk category up 4.7% [Nielsen 52 w/e 10 September 2016].

By contast, the oat-based drink leads the breakfast category in its Australian homeland (where it is wheat-based).

It has now made a raft of changes to its British design and on-pack messaging, which are set to be backed by a “heavyweight” push. The foil seal and straw have been dropped in favour of a resealable screw top, and clearer “brekkie without the bowl” messaging has been added to the front of pack, while nutritional information has been given greater prominence on the back.

The drink’s new look also sees a 32% increase in carton size from 250ml to 330ml – with a 29% rise in rsp from £1.39 to £1.79.

In spite of its emphasis on breakfast, Up&Go suited five of eight daily eating occasions, including ‘post-training’ and ‘pre-lunch’, according to James McMaster, CEO at Life Health Foods.

The “huge amount of positive change” came in light of “invaluable first-hand insights” following the drink’s UK launch, he said. The breakfast drinks sector was small but had “huge potential”, McMaster added – though it would need greater investment if it was to “resonate with people”.