Simon Mowbray Allied Domecq is aiming to "triple" the value of its two-Tia liqueur offering ­ Maria and Lusso ­ within five years. The drinks giant revealed its ambition this week as the £11m marketing push for newcomer Tia Lusso got under way in earnest. The Grocer exclusively revealed plans for the new coffee and rum-based cream liqueur, a brand extension to Tia Maria, earlier this year. And senior brand manager Neil Anderson said that sales since its June launch, without the backing of advertising, had been so encouraging that the company was now prepared to make even bolder statements than before. "We have achieved nearly 100% distribution for Lusso in the off-trade and have employed a team of 50 which has been charged with getting 500 new distribution outlets every week," said Anderson. "ACNielsen data shows Lusso achieved a 5% share of the cream liqueur market in June. The purchase intent scores after trial were the highest seen for 30 years." TV and cinema ads for Lusso, playing on the theme that women's intuition will lead them to the drink, hits screens in September while press ads aimed at the brand's key 18 to 30-year-old female market are in glossy mags now. Other activity will include a sampling tie-up in hair salons with Wella. Anderson said the aim was to sell 140,000 nine-litre cases of Lusso by the end of next summer and triple the current 245,000 cases-a-year sales of Tia Maria within five years by promoting the brands under the same banner. {{DRINKS }}