New sparkle for cider

HP Bulmer, the UK's largest cider maker, is to launch a multi- million-pound advertising campaign to revamp the image of Strongbow, its leading brand, Andrew Yates writes.

Michael Hughes, who recently joined Bulmer from Guinness as chief executive, said: "We are aiming to give Strongbow and cider more street cred. We are relaunching the product's image to appeal to 18-25 year olds."

The archer and his arrows, symbols of the Strongbow brand for years, have not been scrapped but will not be the main feature of the advertising.

Bulmer will spend pounds 6m promoting Strongbow over the next 12 months, a 40 per cent rise on the previous year. It will form the centrepiece of a pounds 9m campaign to reverse the decline in the British cider market, badly hit by imports of cheap beer over the vital Christmas period. The advertisements will be shown in the second half of May.