Premier Foods launches Ambrosia ranges in £20m dessert push

by Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk 07-Aug-09, 15:00

LONDON - Premier Foods brands, including Ambrosia, Hartley's and Bird's, will be backed by a £20m investment over the next three years in a bid to grow the ambient dessert category.

As part of this drive the food giant is launching two new Ambrosia ranges, Crumble Puds and Jelly Puds, which will target busy mothers. A TV, press and cinema ad campaign, created by MCBD, will support the launches. It will use the strapline, ‘Ambrosia Feel Good Puds'.

The above-the-line work will be supported by door drops, in-store activity and experiential sampling events nationwide.

Crumble Puds contain Ambrosia Devon Custard and fruit compote with crumble on the side and have less than 5% fat. Jelly Puds are jelly with Ambrosia creamy Devon Custard on the side.

Premier Foods is also targeting lunchbox and healthier snacking occasions with two new ranges, which were launched earlier this year under the Hartley's brand.

Hartley's Frujies is a range of real fruit in jelly suitable for children's lunchboxes. Frujies are available in two fruity flavours: mandarins in orange jelly and peaches in strawberry jelly. There is also a pot range aimed at women.

The ambient desserts category is worth £296m and is growing by 9% year-on-year. Premier Foods, which has a 51% market share, has identified four key drivers to category growth, including creating ‘category heroes' with sweet brands, developing lunchbox and ‘for the moment' sales, breaking down myths to generate a healthier image and making ambient more desirable.

Stuart Wilson, Premier Foods director of sweet, said: ‘We believe there is an incremental £35m retail opportunity, which we can drive by playing to our brand strengths, increasing the penetration of individual desserts and bringing excitement to the category with new product development.'