S&N Reviews Strongbow Gold

The brewer has approached UK agencies to relaunch its Gold variant cider in international markets.

Scottish & Newcastle is on the hunt for an agency to handle the international advertising account for its Strongbow Gold variant.

The company has approached a number of UK-based agencies regarding the account, with chemistry meetings due to be held towards the end of the month. creativebrief is handling the process.

Strongbow first rolled out its Gold product in February 2007, as a way of targeting the overseas market.

The brand, which unlike the UK Strongbow product is served over ice, was initially launched in France, Germany and Spain, but the product ahs as yet failed to gain any real momentum.

However, Scottish & Newcastle has since been acquired by Heineken, and Strongbow is thought to be keen to use Heineken’s extensive global distribution chain to relaunch the brand in a series of markets, including Asia, South American and Europe. It is not yet known whether the product will be made available in the UK.

Scottish & Newcastle works with a number of agencies on its ad roster, including M&C Saatchi and TBWA/London. The UK account of Strongbow is handle by St Luke’s which won the business in 2005.

Earlier this year, St Luke’s launched a major campaign to reposition the cider brand as a drink for the working class.

The campaign included TV spots that showed an army of roofers, gasmen and satellite dish fitters gathered on top of a hill, looking over a city. The ads all contained the strapline: “Bowtime. Hard Earned.”