The new products, which include: Pimm’s Cider Cup, Captain Morgan White Rum, Cîroc Pineapple, Smirnoff Ice Double Black with Guarana, Guiness Golden Ale and two frozen pouches - Pimm’s Summer Crush and Gordon’s Frozen Cooler – are all part of Diageo’s five-year plan to make innovation account for 20% of its business.
Pimm’s Cider Cup, which will launch in April, is made from Pimm’s No.1 and British cider, blended with Pimm’s strawberry and cucumber flavours and “best served in a pint glass over ice.” The 4% ABV fruit spirit-cider [spider] infusion will be supported throughout the summer with a £1.1m campaign. Pimm’s will also be expanding into frozen drinks for the first time, launching a frozen pouch, named Pimm’s Summer Crush, alongside Gordon’s Frozen Cooler and targeting a slightly older consumer. Both Pimm’s and Gordon’s will receive £1m worth of support this summer and the frozen pouches will be supported by a PR campaign.
Captain Morgan ventures into the white rum sector and aims to expand the brand’s repertoire by putting “white rum back on the map” with the launch of Captain Morgan White Rum. The variant will be supported with a seven figure campaign in an effort to build further support for the category.
From the Diageo Reserve collection, super premium vodka brand Cîroc is adding to its flavour range with the launch of Cîroc Pineapple this month which has been crafted from French grapes and infused with freshly crushed pineapple and “a subtle hint of vanilla.”
Diageo also plans to launch of Smirnoff Ice Double Black with Guarana, a 4.7% ABV RTD from the beginning of April, which it plans to support with a £1 million campaign and be included in Smirnoff’s global re-brand and packaging refresh.
Last week, Diageo announced plans to launch a 4.5% ABV premium bottled ale, named Guinness Golden Ale, supported by a £4.5m advertising campaign.