Bacardi Breezer is proving its commitment to the ready-to-drink category by adding a new flavour to its Half Sugar range.

Bursting Blueberry flavour will replace Bacardi Breezer Cranberry and will complement the existing Half Sugar variants of Zesty Lemon, Refreshing Raspberry and Crispy Apple. The Half Sugar flavours account for more than 30% of Bacardi Breezer's volume sales since their launch last May.

Bacardi said last year's Half Sugar launch helped pull lapsed consumers back to RTDs and pushed Bacardi Breezer into the market's number one slot in UK grocery, according to ACNielsen [New Scan Impulse for the six months to February 2006]. A spokeswoman for the company said the brand had seen strong sales for its 70cl formats and the Half Sugar variants, which had helped boost the brand.

Fraser McGuire, senior trade marketing manager for Bacardi Breezer, said: "The Half Sugar range has made great steps towards stabilising both the brand and the RTD category as a whole. Blueberry is the UK's fastest-growing fruit flavour and this was reflected in the excellent consumer reaction to Bursting Blueberry in trials."

This month's launch will be supported with a £6.5m marketing package. It will be available as a single bottle, a 70cl bottle and four-packs.

The whole Bacardi Breezer range has also been given a new look, including redesigned outer packaging for the four-pack variants.

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