Carling aims 99-calorie beer at women

by Gemma Charles, Marketing 11-Nov-08, 09:15

LONDON - Carling is to advertise in women's magazines for the first time to flag up the low calorie content of its bottled lager.

The beer brand is launching a '99-calorie' bottle into the on-trade in January in an attempt to target women who are often deterred by lager's calorific content. The bottle will contain standard Carling, but it will carry a '99 calories' logo positioned to make it look as though the product is called 'Carling 99'.

The brand, which has long embraced a male-focused positioning, will advertise the product in women's weeklies.

The roll-out follows the launch of a business unit called Eve, set up by Carling's parent company, Coors to target women. Martin Coyle, director of Carling, said the drive was part of the brewer's wider strategy to attract drinkers by stressing the brand's quality and that it is made from British barley.

Carling recently unveiled a fresh can design by Landor, and is currently running a £5m ad campaign, created by Beattie McGuinness Bungay, called 'Grain to glass'.