Schweppes sparkling juice

Coca-Cola Enterprises has announced a new marketing push for Schweppes – a week after The Grocer revealed Tesco had pulled many of the brand’s lines in a pricing dispute.

The ad campaign will run from the end of April across on-demand TV, cinema, digital and outdoor media, with the “witty, youthful” theme of ‘separating men from boys, separating women from girls’.

“This is a huge year of investment, and the new brand proposition and marketing support is an exciting step-change for Schweppes” said CCE operational marketing director Caroline Cater.

Schweppes is also looking to tap the growing adult soft drinks market – up 9.1% by value year on year [Nielsen 52w/e 3 January 2015] - with the three-strong range of Schweppes Sparkling Juice Drinks. The line-up comprises Grapefruit & Blood Orange, Orange & Cranberry and Lemon & Elderflower containing 20kcal per 100ml, which CCE claimed was “one of the lowest calorie of their kind” in adult soft drinks.

Schweppes Sparkling Juice Drinks rolled into Asda three weeks ago and are now going into wider distribution.

“With its 230-year heritage, the brand is well-known and trusted,” added Cater. “We want to build on this loyal following by engaging with a new generation of sophisticated adults to trial Schweppes range – particularly the new sparkling juice drinks - given the wider societal trends around health and wellbeing.”

Last week, The Grocer revealed Tesco had pulled Schweppes mixers from shelves, with the retailer seemingly unwilling to meet CCE’s request for higher prices because of falling commodity prices, the current tough trading conditions for fizzy drinks, and CCE’s own performance.