The sauces, stocked in food stores such as upmarket Fortnum & Mason and Tesco and Somerfield, will be advertised through a national press campaign in titles such as The Observer Food Monthly, Delicious and Olive, with online sampling through sponsorship of .
Albion, which won the account after a three-way-pitch, is focusing its creative on Lingham's heritage by using the shipping language from the turn of the 20th century, emphasising the product is exclusively available in limited quantities in the UK.
The campaign features three different press executions, each featuring the chilli sauce bottles with different headlines, playing on the tortuous route by sea Lingham's once took.
One reads: "Customer notice: arrival of batch #2306 delayed by due to squalls in the Malacca Staits", while another reads: "In some countries, piracy is still punishable by death". The third execution reads: "Should your principal merchant be out of stock, please check the shipping forecast".
The ads also feature an array of offical stamps saying "Duty Paid" and "Customs Cleared", suggestive of the different ports the ship called at.
Jason Goodman, Albion managing director and founder, said: "Competition for space on supermarket food shelves has never been so fierce. Small exclusive brands like Lingham's have survived for 96 years on the basis of a fine product and word of mouth. Now it needs a more vocal approach to ensure its continued success."
The ads were created by Nick Flugge, Tim McNaughton and Matt Gibbins with media planning by Goodman.
Michael Haughton, managing director of Evan, Gray & Hood, Lingham's UK importers, said: "Lingham's is the only known chilli sauce made from 100% fresh chillies. This advertising campaign will ensure this quality product not only stays in UK shops but continues to grow its share of market."
Albion was launched in September 2002 by Jason Goodman and Matt Gibbins, who previously worked at BMP DDB and Wieden & Kennedy respectively. Albion's current client list include Innocent Drinks, Virgin.net, Blaupunkt and What on Earth Pizzas.
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