Bell's axes eight-year-old blend in £4m relaunch

by Gemma Charles Marketing 20-May-08, 08:45

LONDON - Diageo is relaunching Bell's as part of a £4m strategy that will ditch the whisky's 'Aged 8 years' positioning and introduce the brand's founder, Arthur Bell, as a brand icon.

In September, Diageo will replace eight-year-old Bell's with Bell's Original, a blend aimed at pre-dinner drinkers. Its relaunch will be backed by the brand's first TV ads since 2005, which will be created by Adam & Eve.

Although the pricing will not change, the reformulated Scotch will not be aged in the same way, forcing Bell's to drop the 'eight years' claim it has promoted for the past 14 years.

The strategy has been criticised by rivals. David Brown, on-trade sales director at Whyte & Mackay and a former drinks marketer, said the relaunch 'had the potential to confuse consumers'.

However, Tim Simmons, analyst at the International Wine and Spirit Record, claimed the typical Bell's drinker will not be concerned by the change as they are 'not discerning whisky-drinkers'.