±±¾©Èü³µpk10

The revamp will include a return to the brand's roots by focusing on the taste of the drink rather than explicitly selling its health benefits.

GSK will spend £10m on above-the-line ads for Ribena this year, more than double last year's £4m outlay and its biggest single investment in the brand. Ribena sales were £156m for the year to July 14, 2001,which was down £14m on the previous year, according to figures from ACNielsen MMS.

Ads created by Grey Advertising, to launch later this spring, will focus on Ribena's full range of products, which include the core Ribena brand, Ribena Light and Ribena Toothkind.

Last year a High Court judge upheld an Advertising Standards Authority ruling against Toothkind ads that claimed the product helped prevent tooth decay.

The remainder of the £27m spend will be channelled into promotional activity and sponsorship of the FA Premier League, which Ribena shares with fellow GSK brand Lucozade Sport.

A GSK spokeswoman disagreed that sales of Ribena had fallen last year.

"The MMS figures do not take into account out-of-home sales in places such as theme parks, where a lot of Ribena is sold,

she said.