Jolly Shandy gets new image as rival returns

Jolly's relaunch coincides with rival brewer San Miguel resurrecting its Cali shandy brand, which it had stopped importing for several years, according to its marketing communications manager Chris Chung.

Carlsberg's marketing manager Terry Yu, said: "In the next 12 months, Jolly Shandy will be our primary focus. We have been promotions-driven (after 1997) with consumer events, but we realise that for the brand's long-term health, we need to get back to fundamentals."

These include new packaging, a thematic campaign and expanded distribution for the beer-lemonade blend, which has been on the market since 1986.

Its only other shandy competitor is San Miguel's Cali brand, which has been fairly inactive in recent years.

Japanese design firm Graphic Traffic created the new look for both the bottles and cans to tie in with Jolly's new brand image as an "unconventional, bold and daring brand".

Yu said Jolly had progressed from its previous communications focus on functional benefits - 0.5 per cent alcohol content - which allowed its target market of "soft drinks graduates to consume the beverage without getting drunk. "We're now appealing to the heart rather than the head," Yu added. Graphic Traffic's design features a stripe around the can, a look which focus groups said was modern and one they could relate to, according to Yu.

Carlsberg is also expanding Jolly's distribution from supermarkets and convenience stores to on-premise channels such as karaoke lounges and restaurants, frequented by the brand's target market.

The company has also awarded IPG agency Interface Communications the communications brief to support Jolly's relaunch following a three-way pitch that included Market Catalyst and Uno. Interface has also won the brief for Carlsberg's niche brands, such as Woody's ice, Tetley's and Skol beer.

Interface managing director, Dionne Kung, said the agency was working on "unconventional, alternative ideas to build on the brand's "obvious appeal to teenagers".

Hong Kong's teen market has been bombarded with a wide range of beverage choices in the last few months as drinks giants like Coca-Cola and even tea brand Lipton step up pitches for the teen dollar."The drinks category is extremely competitive, said Yu. "In the last 12 months, we have seen strong activity in carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink tea and even water, with Watson's Water and Bonaqua."

Meanwhile, Chung said San Miguel had reintroduced Cali, its imported brand, with new packaging and was currently working on other facets of the relaunch.