Beverage Brands turns to pub loos to promote WKD

By Claire Hu Beverage Brands UK hopes to raise the profile of WKD in an overcrowded RTD market with a £24m advertising campaign in 2003. As part of the promotion, bathrooms in thousands of pubs and clubs across the UK are displaying posters aimed at raising the profile of the most recent addition to the range, WKD Original Vodka Silver. The washroom promotions carry the strapline: "Have you got a WKD side?", and are also appearing in the media. A WKD national television advertis-ing campaign, to be shown in three bursts in 2003, starts in April for a two-month period. The commercials will be aired during high aud-ience programmes like Football Italia. WKD Silver is also being promoted through a poster and sampling campaign at more than 200 universities and colleges and 500 young peoples' venues. Karen Salters, Bever-age Brands marketing manager, said: "We have upweighted our investment in WKD this year because with so many me too' products being manufactured, innovation and consistent levels of brand support are paramount in sustaining growth within the alcoholic RTD sector. "We would anticipate that the investment we have put behind WKD, coupled with the recent introduction of the innovative WKD Silver, will drive total category sales." The 5.5% abv range features WKD Original Vodka Iron Brew, Vodka Blue and Vodka Silver.