Turkey product specialist Bernard Matthews is taking on the critics with a new advertising campaign that ignores health concerns and emphasises the nostalgic, family associations of its Golden Drummers brand.

The company has been knocked in recent years by Jamie Oliver's savaging of its Turkey Twizzlers and by the combative launch of Birds Eye's Drumsters, with "significantly less fat than others on the market".

Bernard Matthews is taking legal action over the name of the latter product, claiming it is too close to its own brand.

The company is coming out fighting with the new advertising too, investing £1m in a three-month integrated campaign, which operates under the banner slogan Share Your Golden Moments With Bernard Matthews.

The standard range, in redesigned packaging, is said to have lower salt and no artificial additives. The company is also launching Mini Golden Drummers, made with 100% turkey breast and targeting

families with younger children. TV advertising, which breaks next month, draws on the 21-year-old brand's 1989 commercial featuring a boy scout back from camp who was prompted to say: "It's great to be home, mum," only once he'd been fed Turkey Drummers.

The new campaign features the original mum character and encourages viewers to visit a dedicated website and share their 'golden' moments by uploading photographs and stories for a chance to win prizes. Top of the pile is a family holiday to Australia's Gold Coast and camcorders are also up for grabs.

The theme is also picked up in radio and press competitions, an on-pack offer for a mug or mouse mat featuring consumers' own photographs and sampling in the major multiples.

Commercial director Bart Dalla Mura said: "Golden Drummers has the highest awareness, greatest penetration and more goodwill than any other frozen breaded product in the market," adding: "Our October TV campaign will leverage this loyalty and nostalgia for the brand."

Topics