What does the name Sarah Jessica Parker bring to mind? Manolo Blahniks perhaps? How about dairy-free products?

Unlikely as it seems, SJP had a role to play in the latter this year, when Lactofree secured advertising space around Sex and the City 2. The box-office smash hit was the perfect vehicle for attracting ABC1 women.

The brand's Dump the Lactose, Not the Dairy ad push, which features a 'milk guy' and a 'lactose-intolerant lady', was first screened at the start of the film. And Lactofree certainly seems to be getting through to its target audience, with a 37% hike in volume sales of the brand [Nielsen 52w/e April].

"We can see from consumer feedback that when dairy is cut from people's diet it is greatly missed," says Lactofree brand manager Samantha Glassford. "By educating consumers on lactose intolerance we can see a shift towards greater understanding of the options available."

Originally launched as a semi-skimmed dairy drink, the brand has been expanded to include a whole dairy drink, yoghurts and soft and semi-hard cheeses.

The company says the whole drink has added incremental growth by bringing in new consumers, particularly families and children. Its latest innovation is a 20ml semi-skimmed long-life portion pack designed for people on the go. And for the lactose-intolerant who doesn't miss dairy there is a burgeoning array of dairy-free alternatives.

Leading soya brand Alpro which claims to hold a 64% share of the soya market has revamped its look and recipes this year. And next month, the first dairy-free milk to be made from hemp seed launches into Waitrose. One serving of Good Hemp contains 50% of the recommended daily intake of omega-3 (rsp: 1.79 for one litre).

Meanwhile, there is good news for sweet-toothed dairy avoiders as Celtic Chocolates has produced a range of milk chocolate alternatives. Perfect for munching while watching SJP and the gals in action.

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