Southern Comfort annouces £3m Christmas campaign

Bacardi Brown-Forman is backing Southern Comfort with a £3m Christmas marketing campaign - its biggest ever for the brand.

On-trade promotions will kick off later this month with point of sale (PoS) kits containing branded menus, display kits, optics, bar runners and ice buckets. Sales incentives will also run to give licensees the chance to win a Christmas party for their staff.

Television adverts will run from November until the end of the Christmas period. This will be backed-up by billboards, digital panels on the London and Scottish Underground. It is expected that the drink's target 18- 29 year old consumer will see the adverts five times on average over the Christmas period.

The campaign marks a year of transition for the brand which included its first bottle redesign in 19 years back in May, sponsorship of hit US TV show True Blood and the launch of cocktail website bigeasycocktails.co.uk.

Jamie Butler, brand manager at Southern Comfort said: "It's been a big year for us - a year of change. The brand had been suffering quite a lot in the 18 months before we repositioned it last year. It has fully helped us stem the decline and put the brand back into growth."

Southern Comfort has also launched its Hallowe'en activity, with a focus on New Orleans's voodoo heritage. PoS kits include glow in the dark posters, pitchers, coasters and banners. A premium kit includes 'Trick' or 'Treat' customer incentive cards to win a Southern Comfort, a voodoo hat or luminescent face paints.

Facebook and an iPhone application will support the activity, with drinkers able to transform a photo of themselves into a New Orleans inspired voodoo character.

Call 01962 762 450. For Christmas and Hallowe'en serve suggestions go to www.bigeasycocktails.co.uk or www.southerncomfort.com