The alcohol category has pipped health, beauty and baby to the post in the branded activity chart this week, with Carlsberg continuing its remarkable lead over its rivals.

Carlsberg took 28% of featured promotional space at the weekend, blocking its rival from pole position. Stella Artois was responsible for 25% of activity among the top five brands. Grant's Whisky took joint third place with Budweiser with 17% of the space each.

Grant's was the only spirits brand to make the top five though it did not even make the top 10 chart in 2006 let alone the top five and remains outside both charts this year, despite offers throughout January, February, March and May.

The level of activity continues to be fierce in the alcohol category, with each brand benchmarking its promotions against its rivals. The lager brands led the way, with three in the top five both at the weekend and in the year to date.

Indeed, Carlsberg and Stella have been among the most active brands since Promotrack started its research in December 2005. So far this year, Carlsberg has maintained its top spot in the category with a respectable 25% of all featured space.

Stella remains in second position though its share of space has dropped two percentage points this year to 22% from an overall figure of 24% last year.

Taking third place last week, Budweiser has moved into sixth place in the 2007 chart having failed to make the top 10 last year (it was joint 14th).

Kumala Wines entered the top five chart last weekend but, like Grant's, has not reached either the top five or top 10 for the alcohol category in 2006 or this year.

Hardys is the only wine brand to be featured in both the 2006 and 2007 top five chart, gaining an additional 2% of overall activity this year.

This has moved the brand into third place, ahead of Foster's. Carling shared fourth place in the 2006 overall figures, but has dropped out of the top five this year into 10th place.

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