pladis pushes flavour boundaries for McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes

Snacking giant pladis is expanding appeal for McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes by entering new flavour territory with its latest limited-edition launch: McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour.

Combining one of the nation’s favourite sweets with one of Britain’s best-loved snacks, McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour will feature the brand’s familiar light sponge and delicious dark, crackly chocolate. However, in a surprising new twist, the tangy orange centre will be switched out for a distinctive cola bottle jelly in a bid to whet the appetites of younger shoppers seeking innovative, unique flavour combinations.

Although pladis is no stranger to launching tasty takes on its much-loved Jaffa Cakes – with Jaffa Cakes Flavours, including Passion Fruit and Raspberry, having added £19.7M in sales to the brand since 2021 – it marks the first time the brand has experimented beyond fruit to bring a disruptive, yet popular, flavour to the category.

“Our Original Jaffa Cakes are a store-cupboard staple for 7.1M UK households , and we’ve been building on this success for years by adding a range of fruity flavours to our portfolio,” says Adam Woolf, Marketing Director – McVitie’s at pladis UK&I. “But there’s huge appetite among the next generation of snacking shoppers for something genuinely new and different – and as the original cake in the biscuit aisle, we know a thing or two about doing something different. So, as well as catering to shopper demand, our latest launch is the perfect embodiment of the playful, out of the ordinary essence that’s Jaffa Cakes’ heartland.

“Inspired by the enduring popularity of both McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes and Cola Bottle sweets, McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour is tailormade for those who’ve got the bottle to branch out and give bold new flavour combinations a go. We’re also very confident this will appeal to shoppers, having come out on top as the best-performing flavour amongst 18–34 year-olds in our pre-launch testing.”

Leveraging the popularity of its household favourite Jaffa Cakes brand across all formats – and expanding its £8.6M Cake Bars portfolio – McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour will also be launching in packs of five individually-wrapped Cake Bars. Coming in at just 97kcals each, they’re a pre-portioned treat for those seeking an afternoon pick-me-up or a sweet treat to take on the move.

McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour will be supported by pladis’ biggest marketing investment in Jaffa Cakes Flavours to date – with strong public relations, disruptive out of home media, fun social and influencer content and partnerships, as well as major in-store shopper activations.

Independent retailers can get a special slice of the action with a channel-exclusive 110g Price-Marked Pack (RRP: £1.25), which will be available to wholesalers and convenience retailers from end of July.