Introduced in 2004, C2 ran its last major campaign three years ago. It was aimed at highlighting that C2 allows drinkers to join in social occasions without drinking too much alcohol.
The futuristic TV ad featuring a group of robots, which was created by Beattie McGuinness Bungay, was backed by an outdoor campaign using strap-lines such as "Welcome to the pint after training".
However at a briefing last week, Molson Coors UK chief executive Mark Hunter said the lager would be repositioned in a 2011 relaunch. He added that C2 was a "good liquid" that had tested well, but its 'positioning and communication was not as right as it needs to be'.
Ahead of the activity, which has yet to be confirmed, Hunter revealed that Molson Coors would lobby for a "short-term stimulus" in the form of a tax break for low-alcohol beer. Encouraging brewers to launch such products would, he said, aid responsible drinking.
Next year Molson Coors will roll out a range of beers aimed at women. As revealed by Marketing, the brewer had intended to launch a clear beer, but has now decided against this. The product was deemed so unlike beer that it would fail to help the company's ultimate goal of increasing the number of women drinking beer.
Hunter said that, as beer-drinking continued to decline, the marketing strategy for all Molson Coors products would need to be more unisex.
Asked how this would affect Carling, which is supported by the "You know who your mates are" ads, Hunter signalled that the campaign could be ditched. "Over time, changes will emerge in our marketing," he said.
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