Sunny Delight is the most successful grocery launch of the decade,
according to Marketing’s annual Biggest Brands survey.
Procter & Gamble’s fruit drink has broken in at the highest position
ever recorded for a new launch in the survey of the UK’s 50 biggest
brands.
The drink saw sales soar 5224% to almost pounds 160m a year in the 12
months to April 1999, making it the 12th biggest- selling brand in the
country.
Since its launch in April 1998, the product has come under heavy fire
from the Food Commission. The Commission said Sunny Delight’s packaging
was misleading, making it look like a pure juice drink. It criticised
its high sugar content and minimal 5% fruit juice content.
However, parents have been undeterred and, with the help of exclusive
chiller cabinet deals in supermarkets and a pounds 9m ad campaign
created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the drink has achieved record sales.
The success of the brand means it has already overtaken established
soft-drink rivals, such as Tango and Tropicana. Even giant Pepsi, with
sales of pounds 185m, will be nervous.
ACNielsen’s figures show it still has a way to go to make inroads on
Coca-Cola, which remains the UK’s biggest brand with sales of pounds
580m.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
