Nestlé has ramped up its festive NPD for 2010 with a new Aero Bubbles Peppermint box, its first Fairtrade seasonal confectionery and a new gifting range for men inspired by an 85-year old Rowntree's product catalogue.

The Kit Kat maker aims to build on the 20% market share of the Christmas confectionery market it had last year with a raft of new arrivals under its core brands and £2.5m marketing support £1.5m less than Mars' festive ad spend. The new products would be available to retail from late September until the end of the year.

In its sharing occasion lines, Nestlé is linking its Quality Street Match­makers brand with Empire magazine's new DVD rental service in an on-pack promotion in the autumn, backed by £1m ad spend. A £1m ATL media push will support its After Eight brand from October.

New lines in Nestlé's gift range include the Aero Bubbles Peppermint gift box (rsp: £3.99), which would target females and take on Maltesers, said Stewart McGuckin, category ­development manager. "Maltesers has needed a challenger for a while now it has been the only brand in that area."

Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles and Pick & Mix brands have also been turned into a gifting option in new heritage gift cartons (£3.99). Sporting vintage pack designs taken from The Illustrated List of Rowntree's High-Class Chocolates 1925-6, the NPD would target older men a consumer type shoppers found "notoriously difficult" to buy confectionery for, claimed McGuckin.

Following its Fairtrade certification last Christmas, the Kit Kat brand will see the addition of Kit Kat Claus (rsp: 45p) Nestlé's first seasonal Fairtrade item. The bar will be embossed with a Santa figure and benefit from a £500k ad spend in November and December. It will line up alongside the new Milkybar Polar Bear (rsp: £2), and join the Smarties Penguin launched last year.

"We encourage retailers to get Quality Street tins out earlier this year. They can be used to stretch the season," added McGuckin.