Imperial Brands has announced its entry into the booming disposable vape category, launching the new blu bar vape range.
The new disposable vape offering from blu will be rolled out into the convenience channel from the end of November.
The blu bar range comprises a collection of disposable and ready-to-use vape products with a compact pocket size design that allows for the ultimate on-the-go convenience. Each blu bar device contains 20mg of nicotine in 2ml of liquid providing up to 600 puffs, and features a LED indicator that lights up when in use.
Available to buy at a MRRP of £5.99 per device, the new blu bar range includes six flavours, carefully chosen due to their consumer appeal, including Kiwi Passionfruit, Mango Ice, Banana Ice, Peach Ice, Watermelon Ice and Strawberry Ice.
Each blu bar features bright and vibrant bursts of colour, both on the device and on the pack to create great standout on the shelf and help with range navigation in store.
“Disposables are taking over the vape category, with the segment seeing rapid growth in the last year. In fact, recent figures show they now account for 70% of vape sales. We’re really excited to be joining this flourishing market with our new blu bar range, offering a great quality product from the well-known blu brand that consumers know and trust,” said Tom Gully, Imperial Tobacco’s Head of Consumer Marketing UK&I.
Imperial will be supporting the launch of blu bar with a special Profit on Return deal of up to 43 per cent at wholesalers, as well as through a new dedicated blu bar trade microsite, which will launch on 3 January.
The blu bar Knowledge Hub will provide retailers with everything they need to know about the range, including useful articles, video content and quizzes, as well as the chance to win prizes.
Leading breakfast cereal brand Weetabix has announced the launch of Crispy Minis Caramelised Biscuit.
A delicious union between its leading bitesize cereal format and one of the most popular flavour trends in the market. Caramelised Biscuit will be available across grocery, convenience and discounters from February 2025.
As the fastest growing top 10 tasty cereal brand, Weetabix Crispy Minis continues to resonate with households across the UK for its unique appeal of both great taste and nutrition. Caramelised biscuit is one of the fastest growing flavour trends in the market, with 52 per cent annual growth of flavour and 71 per cent flavour appeal [Its-Bakery Flavours Report 2023;Humante 2023].
Weetabix said this it makes a perfect addition to the Minis range, meeting both consumer-favourite tastes as well as being HFSS compliant, for a fun yet healthy breakfast that can be enjoyed by families of all ages.
“With Minis already being a firm breakfast favourite, adding the popularity of caramelised biscuit into the mix is certain to drive further category growth through the taste and excitement it delivers, reaching new target audiences who value our ongoing commitment to quality and taste,” Lorraine Rothwell, Weetabix Head of Brand, said.
“Both delicious and HFSS compliant, it’s perfect for those who like the sweet taste of caramel without compromising on nutrition – making it an ideal cereal choice for families across the country.”
The launch will be supported by the largest marketing investment, in the Crispy Minis brand, to date, including large scale shopper activations, paid media channels and influencer campaigns, which will take place between March and April of this year.
Caramelised Biscuit is the third permanent flavour within the Crispy Minis product range, which includes Fruit & Nut and Chocolate Chip. The launch follows a recent significant milestone success for the Crispy Minis brand, which celebrated its position as a £33 million brand per annum in September.
Premium Italian sparkling drinks brand Sanpellegrino has unveiled its brand-new Zero Added Sugar range in the UK, crafted from real Italian fruit juice.
The new Sanpellegrino Zero Added Sugar drinks are a delicious, fruit beverage option with 0g added sugar. Made with real juice from the sun-kissed fruits grown and carefully hand-picked in Italy, the new range comes in two flavours – Limonata (lemon) and a brand-new Pesca & Clementina (Peach & Clementine) with each 330ml can containing less than 22 calories.
The new product range is part of Sanpellegrino’s brand repositioning which includes a refreshing new design to its core range.
“At Sanpellegrino we pride ourselves in crafting our Italian sparkling drinks using high quality juice from fruits grown in Southern Italy and the Mediterranean, offering consumers an authentic Italian drinking experience,” Alan Dabner, senior brand manager at Sanpellegrino, commented.
“We know that many more Brits are seeking alternative drinking options, especially as we move into the new year, and we are therefore extremely excited to offer new delicious, 0g added sugar citrus drinks with Sanpellegrino Zero Added Sugar.”
Available now in Tesco Extra and Superstores (RRP £4.50 for a multipack of six cans), the range will become available in other retailers this Spring.
The Zero Added Sugar variants join the brand’s core range of Italian sparkling drinks, which is made up of six flavours including Limonata (Lemon), Aranciata (Orange), Aranciata Rossa (Blood Orange), Melograno & Arancia (Pomegranate & Orange), Pompelmo (Grapefruit) and Limone & Menta (Lemon & Mint).
Memers Vape, established by Shenzhen SKE Technology, the creator of the UK’s best-selling SKE Crystal Bar, has unveiled its latest innovation: the Dr. AIR vape series.
SKE said the ‘groundbreaking’ product marks the official entry of the vaping industry into the age of AI-powered vaping, setting a new benchmark for intelligent, personalised vaping experiences.
Memers Dr. AIR and Dr. AIR X are advanced AI-powered pod vape devices designed by Memers Vape in collaboration with Shenzhen SKE Technology.
Dr. AIR X is the first pod system that can be monitored and controlled via an app using the MITS AI Platform. It comes with a 1000mAh battery and can reach up to 30W of power, ensuring a robust vaping experience.
The Dr. AIR series is positioned as a health-focused alternative to traditional smoking, leveraging AI to provide a tailored vaping experience that can help users reduce their nicotine intake and eventually quit smoking.
They are designed to be easy to use, making them accessible for both beginners and experienced vapers.
The 2.02-inch LCD touch screen adds convenience, while the side stepless airflow control lets users customise their draw. They can choose between 0.6ohm, 0.8ohm, or 1.1ohm coils for the perfect hit.
The product is compatible with 2ml/3ml Pods and supports 10+ refills, without compromising on flavour.
OREO is launching a one-of-a-kind partnership with the hotly anticipated A MINECRAFT MOVIE, in cinemas April 4.
The cookie brand has come together with the movie, set in a world where creativity is essential to one’s survival, to encourage fans to taste, play, win – serving up OREO’s most playful snacking experience to date, with money-can’t-buy prizes on offer.
Four Special Edition cookies have been released as part of the partnership, which includes a very special feature that allows cookie faithful and moviegoers to enter a world of play.
The cookies are embossed with symbols inspired by A MINECRAFT MOVIE – the iconic Pickaxe, Crystal, Sword and Creeper – all sure to excite Minecraft fans and entice OREO lovers to experience both the cookies and the film.
In OREO’s most playful gaming mechanic on pack yet, fans bite the cookie into a square and then scan the custom embossments to access a themed AR online experience, where players hunt for hidden elements from A MINECRAFT MOVIE.
The Special Edition cookies also offer fans the chance to win exclusive OREO x A MINECRAFT MOVIE prizes.
“At OREO, our mission is to bring more playfulness into the world, and our latest partnership with A MINECRAFT MOVIE is set to be our most playful collaboration yet – by paying homage to the beloved blocks of Minecraft with our iconic round cookie,” said Perrine Pierrard-Willaey, Marketing Director Europe at OREO. “We’ve seen some amazing partnerships in the past from Xbox to Batman so we hope this partnership excites fans just as much, and we can’t wait to see them taste, play and win!”
Julie Moore, Senior Vice President of Global Brand Partnerships at Warner Bros. Pictures said: “A MINECRAFT MOVIE, just like the hugely popular game that inspired it, is all about empowerment through creativity, and no cookie has inspired more creative ways to consume it than OREO. The fact that the classic circle-shape is embracing the renowned Minecraft block makes our partnership one for the ages.”
Fans looking to participate in the fun can visit www.oreo.eu or join in on the conversation on @OREOUKI.
Weight wellness snack brand, Fibre One, has started the new year with a bang with its latest campaign and brand visual overhaul, “Your Treat Should Treat You Better”.
Fronted by the pleasure-full (but still 90 calories) indulgence of Fibre One’s Chocolate Fudge Brownies, the new campaign tells shoppers that, when temptation strikes, they can treat themselves without compromise. With bold, illustrated imagery and impactful messaging, it empowers consumers to find their main character energy, backed by the ethos: life’s too short for flavourless sacrifices and bland snacks.
With a £230k investment in shopper media, both online and in-store, ‘Your Treat Should Treat You Better’ engages consumers from the aisle. A promotional price of £1 (RRP £2.25) across January further doubles down on Fibre One’s appeal at a key time of year for weight wellness seekers.
“Permissible indulgence is a popular driver for consumers as they search for options that offer maximum taste yet minimal calories – and that’s exactly what Fibre One delivers,” said JP Del Carmen, Head of Snacks at General Mills.
“Through our new campaign, we want to show shoppers that they can feel good about meeting those cravings, with Fibre One as the go-to treat that treats youbetter.
“With bold messaging and in-store visuals coupled with a fantastically low promo price, Fibre One is sure to grab attention in the snacking aisle this January.”