Premium vodka-based RTD brand Four Loko has released its new limited edition flavour, Black, which consists of a surprisingly green serve.
With notes of kiwi and an ABV of 8.4 per cent, Four Loko Black delivers a fresh and fruity blast to “excite the senses”, while the striking black and green can delivers high on-shelf visibility to help maximise sales and encourage shoppers to the fixture.
“With the festive season now upon us, this is the perfect time for consumers to get their hands on this limited edition release and embrace the season with an exciting new taste sensation,” said Clark McIlroy, Managing Director of Four Loko distributor Red Star Brands.
Four Loko Black is now available in 440ml cans, RRP £3.49, for a limited time only. Sales support focusing on the new ‘Party in a Can’ campaign includes a range of in-store POS material featuring shelf barkers, wobblers and digital aisle fins, as well as high-profile social media and influencer campaigns.
“We know that NPD drives consumer interest in the RTD category so we’re excited to add some more vibrant colour in the run-up to Christmas,” added McIlroy. “Dark Berry Burst launched in May 2024 and is now the number two fastest-selling SKU behind Four Loko White, so we have high hopes for Black.
“The fact that premium priced RTDs have grown faster than any other segment in the last two years means that there are some great opportunities out there for retailers to capitalise on this popularity.”
The launch of Four Loko Black is being supported by the “Party in a Can” campaign, designed to engage the brand’s target Gen Z audience through multiple platforms and social media channels. The campaign encourages consumers to share their #FourLokoMoments – authentic, fun experiences where Four Loko is part of the celebration. This user-generated content approach will help create organic brand ambassadors, showcasing real-life enjoyment of Four Loko and highlighting the spirit of #PartyInACan.
Selected entrants will have the chance to receive exclusive merchandise and become part of Four Loko’s brand story. To further support the launch, Four Loko has also partnered with Snappy Shopper in Scotland for Black Friday promotions, offering exclusive deals on For Loko Black during the festive season.
“The idea is to bring to life the brand’s authentic, bold positioning while driving deeper connections through social engagement,” added McIlroy. “This exciting campaign is anchored by out-of-home executions and influencer content that complement these consumer-driven stories.”
Four Loko’s premium vodka-based, caffeine-free RTDs are all available in 440ml cans. The launch of Four Loko Black brings the total range available to 10 flavours; other variants include Pink Melon, Dark Berry Burst, White, Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical, Blue, Fruit Punch, Gold and Tutti Frutti (all 8.4 per cent ABV).
Molson Coors Beverage Company on Thursday announced that it is taking a majority ownership stake in Zoa, the better-for-you energy brand co-founded by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman.
Molson Coors said taking a majority stake will allow it to lead the entirety of Zoa’s marketing, retail and direct-to-consumer sales and development. The deal represents one piece of Molson Coors’ strategic ambition to expand its total beverage portfolio.
Molson Coors and Zoa first struck a partnership when the brand launched in 2021, and Molson Coors increased its stake in Zoa last September while also assuming a presence on Zoa’s board of directors.
“We’re building a winning portfolio that offers consumers choices across a wide range of occasions, and non-alc is a key part of that strategy,” said Molson Coors chief commercial officer Michelle St. Jacques.
“Zoa opens the door for us to participate in more parts of the day and incremental opportunities beyond our core business. We’ve built a strong foundation with Zoa over the past three years and we see a ton of opportunity for this brand to achieve its next stage of growth and scale.”
Zoa boasts a repeat purchase rate of 50 per cent and attracts new consumers to the energy category, with 30 per cent of Zoa buyers new to this space. The brand’s direct-to-consumer business is also a significant driver of sales and consumer visibility, including the brand’s position as a top 10 energy drink brand on Amazon.
As Zoa enters its next phase, Johnson will remain a visible face of the brand through the ‘Big Dwayne Energy’ campaign, social media amplification and more.
“Since day one, Molson Coors has shared our passion for Zoa Energy, and as a partner, they’ve been pivotal to bringing new consumers into the energy space with Zoa and keeping them coming back,” said Johnson.
“Zoa is all about crafting drinks that help our loyal and growing consumers show up as their best selves every day, and Molson Coors’ commitment to the brand will give it an enormous amount of firepower in the next phase of growth.”
The annual Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour is back, bringing the magic of the season to towns and cities across Great Britain
This year, the Coca-Cola Truck Tour focuses on the ambition to make kindness travel. Echoing the wider Coca-Cola Christmas campaign message, “The World Needs More Santas”, the tour will encourage visitors to embrace their inner Santa and share an act of kindness with others during the festive season.
Promising to be bigger and better than ever before, for every person that attends the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour, the equivalent of a meal will be donated on their behalf. Coca-Cola aims to donate the equivalent of up to a total of one million meals via FareShare this festive season.
“We are so grateful to Coca-Cola for their continued support for FareShare," said Kirsty Ford, Head of Fundraising at FareShare. "These invaluable donations help us get good-to-eat food to the people who need it rather than going to waste. Every day, the food we redistribute to a network of over 8,000 charities in every region helps to strengthen communities. Coca-Cola’s generous support for FareShare is instrumental in helping people affected by the cost-of-living crisis. This support means charities can unite more people through food to form connections and access essential support services. Thank you for helping FareShare make the food go further.”
This year’s Coca-Cola Christmas campaign will also see the Coca‑Cola Christmas Truck make its familiar festive appearance on TV screens in November. This year’s advert will launch with a new twist. For the first time, Coca-Cola will introduce an AI-generated interpretation of the classic advert, with a fusion of human creativity and advanced technology ushering in the start of the Christmas season.
Coca-Cola will also unveil a new festive digital AI experience, enabling people to engage in magical conversations with Santa or a snow globe avatar to create a personalised, shareable snow globe animation, based on a personal memory by scanning the QR code on a Christmas bottle or can of Coca-Cola.
Festive on-pack graphics and promotion Between 7th November and 2nd January, shoppers can enter a free prize draw via the Coca-Cola App by scanning QR codes on festive-themed cans and bottles of Coca-Cola Original Taste and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. They will find out instantly if they’ve won one of thousands of £50 shopping vouchers*.
The limited-edition packs feature eye-catching festive designs with Santa graphics and decorations to help create a sense of Christmas magic in stores.
Convenience retailers can maximise the occasion by accessing festive Coca-Cola branded point of sale materials from My.CCEP.com now.
"Last year, soft drinks delivered its biggest ever year, with Coca-Cola the soft drink of choice for more than 10m households," said Rob Yeomans, vice-president, commercial development at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB.
“Coca-Cola is synonymous with Christmas thanks to the iconic campaigns and Truck Tour that consumers look forward to every year. Our new limited-edition packs and shopping voucher giveaway will help retailers build on that excitement and offer their customers a chance to win something to support with the cost of Christmas.
“Our aim is to spread Christmas spirit, and bring people together to create special Christmas celebrations at home. We’d encourage retailers to make the most of the opportunities that Christmas brings, such as by creating cross-category displays in store and using occasion led messaging at fixture, which can help double shopper engagement and increase sales.”
Pepsi is teaming up with EA Sports FC for the second year running, with a bigger and better on-pack promotion set to give away even more gaming prizes to shoppers across additional Pepsi SKUs and formats.
Available now, the campaign aims to drive excitement among a wide range of customers in-store, from football fans to gamers, to encourage on-the-go and impulse cola sales.
Following an incredibly successful 2023 campaign that saw over 530,000 promotional codes redeemed, this year’s on-pack promotion will roll out across all Pepsi500ml packs and 330ml Pepsi MAXcans.
Cola continues to lead the soft drinks category as the number one segment, worth £2.9bn. Pepsi MAXcontinues to drive this growth, with a +9.6 per cent sales value growth over the last year. Additionally, the Pepsi MAXbrand has strong cultural ties to football, with EA SPORTS FCbeing the most successful video game across Europe in the first six months of 2024.
Through this, the partnership is well placed to support retailers in maximising the cola opportunity among wider audiences and encourage repeat purchase, with last year’s promotion seeing an average redemption rate of 3.5 codes per participant.
To enter, shoppers must purchase a promotional Pepsi product and scan the QR code on-pack. Consumers will be directed to www.europe.pepsifc25.com, where they will be required to sign up or log into their EA account and complete a form using the unique code found on the product. Shoppers can get their hands on one of 60 game consoles, 3,000 EA Sports FC25 game copies, and 4 x guaranteed-win rewards packs that can be redeemed in game. Entries will be open until 30 December 2024.
Fentimans, the premium soft drinks and mixers brand, has introduced its first brand character, named Fentiman, in a new brand campaign launching October 2024.
Charming, well-dressed and meticulously handcrafted, Fentiman is an Ambassador of Exquisite Taste, on a mission to inspire people to be more discerning with their beverage choices. Just like Fentimans drinks, Fentiman is timeless, full of character and without a doubt memorable.
In the 30” advert, Fentiman pops up unexpectedly when a woman, Janet, is about to settle for a generic soft drink. Standing one foot tall, the same height as a 750ml bottle of Fentimans, the crafted character tells Janet “You deserve better than that”. He points out “I postulate there’s not even real lemons in that concoction [generic soft drink]”, before reminding her of the real depth of flavours in Fentimans drinks, such as “The finest Otto rose oil from the Karlovo region in Bulgaria.”
“In a world full of run-of-the-mill soft drinks, it's the complex depth of flavours that makes Fentimans unique," said Marketing Director Jayne Andrews. "Many wait for a special occasion to enjoy drinks like ours, but we’re encouraging people to swap mediocrity for curiosity and make every day exquisite. As more consumers look to prioritise quality over quantity, we are committed to making sure premium adult soft drinks stand out and entice those with a desire to elevate their experience in bars, restaurants or at home, into our category. We could think of no better way to do this than introducing Fentiman, who embodies our brand and introduces consumers to why our Botanically Brewed beverages are a cut above.”
The new campaign starring Fentiman will be rolled out across ITVX and Channel 4’s streaming services, social media and out-of-home sites, including billboard ads in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. A Fentiman digital van will also tour the brand’s hometown in Hexham, where flavours are still brewed to this day.
Following the campaign’s launch today, Wednesday 23 of October, from 7 to 10 November, people on the streets of London, Manchester and Newcastle will have the chance to engage with the campaign and interact with Fentiman through a unique brand experience. Described as a "drinks amnesty", those passing will be encouraged to dispose of their bland beverage and swap for something Botanically Brewed – because life’s too short for fleeting flavours.
Natural energy drink brand TENZING has released a new Super Natural energy blend, crafted to power consumers through the cold and gloomy winter months. Developed together with nutritionists, the innovative new recipe boasts a powerful combination of natural ingredients from Vitamin D and C to Magnesium and Lion's Mane, making it the first ever energy drink to be designed specifically for winter, when vitamin D levels, energy levels, mood and immunity are all notoriously low.
The SKU, Super Natural Fiery Mango, was originally launched last month as a Limited Edition and is now being made permanent with its brand new, functional “Winter Edition” recipe. and will also be available from select independent wholesalers including UNNU and Muscle Finesse Wholesale.
Over a year in development, Super Natural Fiery Mango, is the brand’s most powerful energy drink, packing double the power with a 160MG punch of natural caffeine, sourced from green coffee. With winter in mind, each can also delivers a much needed seasonal hit of natural Vitamin D (10 UM; 100% of your daily dose), sourced from pine trees, along with Magnesium (173MG) from the Irish Sea, which activates the Vitamin D.
Taking the drink to even greater heights is 500MG of Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, famed for their mood, immune boosting and antioxidant properties, whilst the 16MG of Vitamin C provides additional immune support. And for a final flurry of goodness, an impressive 250MG of ginger gives the drink its super fiery kick! As ever, TENZING is also a great source of electrolytes (165MG), which are sourced from Himalayan Rock Salt, plus is all-natural and low in calories.
“At TENZING we are all about providing people with natural energy, harnessed from plants, and so we are super proud of this new launch," said founder Huib van Bockel. "While other 'winter editions' in the energy drinks space merely focus on winter specific artificial flavourings, we have spent years crafting a drink that provides the functionality to boost the UK through the dark winter months, a time when energy and mood tends to be at its lowest.
We’ve worked tremendously hard to create an unrivalled recipe of super natural energy, for example, our Vitamin D is sourced from pine trees, in stark contrast to the artificial Vitamin D added to many products, whilst Lion’s Mane is known to lift mood and energy.”