Premier Foods launches Sharwood's campaign as it doubles ad spend to £50m

The company behind brands such as Ambrosia, Batchelors, Bisto, Hovis, Loyd Grossman, Mr Kipling, Oxo, has doubled it marketing spend for 2012, and will launch its largest concentrated period of TV advertising.

The investment is part of the company's commitment to being the "best in British Food".

The campaign will kick off with a £2m Sharwood's ad by McCann London, which launches on Thursday.

The "great British curry" ad is part of a wider £6m campaign for the brand. It features Sharwood's chefs travelling the length and breadth of Britain, discovering what makes a great British curry.

The chefs visit local curry houses, looking for recipes that families can enjoy at home. The campaign will run until April.

Michael Clarke, chief executive officer, Premier Foods, said: "The awareness and popularity of our Power Brands remain strong but it’s clear that we haven’t invested enough in marketing compared with our competitors.

"I'm committed to changing that. The new TV ads are just the start of things to come."

Hot on the heels of the Sharwood's launch, Loyd Grossman will return to TV from 6 February until the end of April.

The £2m ad will document Grossman from a toddler to the present day underlining his passion for good food throughout his life.

A Hovis ad will also be on air from 10 February until the end of March, as part of a £10m campaign.

It brings back the brand's "go on lad" positioning, which features a young boy's journey through recent history and showcases quintessential British life.

Follow Sara Kimberley on Twitter @SaraKimberley

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk