Festive build-up for Diageo

Diageo is backing its major brands to the tune of £25m in a bid to build sales in the run-up to Christmas.

The package includes a £5m TV, radio sponsorship and promotional campaign behind Baileys and £1.4m on TV, radio, press and poster ads for Smirnoff.

New TV advertising for Gordon's gin will aim to position Gordon's as "the G in G&T."

Bushmills, the Irish whiskey brand bought from Pernod Ricard last year, is to get its first support from Diageo, with a new-look pack and £500,000 marketing spend, including a

sampling campaign fronted by a "seanchaí", a traditional Gaelic storyteller.

Senior brand manager Candice Burton said: "This is a considerable investment for a brand that we've just bought."

A further £1m will be spent on a nine-week TV advertising campaign supporting the new Pimm's Winter brand, and £2m on Quinn's fruit ferment RTD.

Innovation director Philip Gladman said Diageo wanted to "Judo-throw all the negative perceptions of RTDs".

He added: "It's early days, but we're very pleased so far.

"It's all about trial, trial and more trial.

"We're really getting behind this brand, because we can see it as a way of reinvigorating the category."

Diageo is launching two new versions of Baileys, containing hints of mint and caramel, but into the

off-trade.

The company's NPD focus in the on-trade will continue to concentrate on its Chocolate Cups promotion.

The mint and caramel styles of Baileys are to receive a £2.5m marketing budget in the pre-Christmas period.