The Hindu Business Line : Bacardi hopes new beverage launch will be a breeze

Mr Jeff MacDonald, Marketing Director, Bacardi-Martini India Ltd, at the launch of the ready to drink beverage — Bacardi Breezer — in the Capital on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI, Sept. 24

WHERE do you see yourself in the next six months?" asks the quintessential city-slicker cheekily, as he reverses roles with his future boss-to-be. And it is this `cool yet focussed' attitude that Bacardi Breezer seeks to communicate in its television commercials (TVC) that are slated to be aired next month.

Bacardi Breezer, the rum-based ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail, was today officially launched in the Capital in three flavours -- lemon, orange and cranberry. With a 4.8 per cent alcohol content, on par with beer, Breezer is priced at Rs 40 for a 330 ml bottle.

The Bacardi RTD had hit markets in Goa last month, priced at Rs 32 for a 275 ml bottle. It will be rolled out in Mumbai next month at Rs 42, also for a 275 ml bottle. This would be followed by a national roll-out by the end of this year. Breezer is currently being produced by Gemini Distilleries at its plant in Goa, for Bacardi.

Only last month, UB group company, McDowell, had rolled out its version of RTD, the vodka-based Romanov Shotz.

Mr Jeff MacDonald, Marketing Director, Bacardi-Martini India Ltd, told Business Line that the advertising would promote its site -- www.bacardibreezerindia.com -- as its brand-extension. With surrogate advertising for alcoholic beverages increasingly coming in for flak, Bacardi Breezer actually made sure to clear all decks of possible opposition even before the TVC was canned. "The scripts were sent to the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) and the different channels to ensure that no guidelines were being violated,'' he added.

The TVCs, created by McCann Erickson, for the Indian audience were, however, toned down to suit Indian sensibilities. The humour was made less offensive and the women were shown to be less aggressive, he said.

However, for the next two weeks, only a five-second teaser is to be aired to establish the presence of the new drink. A series of print ads have also been readied for launch. The company is targeting retail sales of Rs 100 crore in two years .

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Bacardi hopes new beverage launch will be a breeze