New Bacardi Breezer flavour, cranberry, released into market

The premium packaged spirit market leader, Bacardi Breezer, has expanded its range of flavours with the addition of a new cranberry flavour.

The release of the new cranberry variant, available from the beginning of April, is set to coincide with a comprehensive marketing programme including the launch of the second "Tom Cat" advertisement.

Nick Hunt, marketing strategy manager for Bacardi Breezer, said: "Bacardi Breezer Cranberry is being launched to take advantage of the huge growth in the cranberry drinks category and its use as a mixer over the last year or so."

The limited edition cranberry flavour will join a portfolio that already boasts six flavours.

Bacardi was forced to film the latest advert from a cats' eye view after the original Bacardi Breezer cats were too busy to fly back from Los Angeles where they were busy filming the movie Stuart Little 2.

The three cats, Merlin, Magoo and Murphy, were paid a total of £600,000 to star in the £4m advertising campaign.

Meanwhile, the Cuban president Fidel Castro has ordered Cuban distilleries to start producing Bacardi-branded rums for sale abroad after Bacardi announced plans to market a Cuban Havana Club rum in the United States.

In a speech attacking the US embargo against the island, Castro said: "We have given instructions for our industry to start producing Bacardi, because it is ours and there are a lot more things we can do to respond to banditry and abuse. We will then benefit from the millions that they have spent on advertising."

No-one from Bacardi-Martini in the UK or Miami was available for comment.