Labatt, Molson ready promotion for guarana beers
By Adnews Staff
Molson will introduce a new beer containing guarana called Kick later this month. Guarana is a South American plant containing caffeine. The product will go on sale in Ontario, Quebec and western Canada on March 21 and in the Maritimes on April 1. Kick will be packaged in a 355ml aluminum bottle in Ontario. It will also be sold in glass bottles nationally and in cans in western Canada. "Creating a smooth-tasting, premium lager with guarana is one more way for Molson to offer innovation and variety to Canadian beer drinkers," said Gino Cantalini, vice-president of innovation at Molson. "It's fitting that we would also make Canada's first lager with guarana available in Canada's first aluminum beer bottle." Kick will be promoted with a television and radio ad campaign, plus retail materials, bar and restaurant promotions and a website at <http://www.molsonkick.ca>. Labatt has also announced a new beer containing guarana called Shok. The product is a combination of Labatt Blue "infused with berry aromas and guarana," according to the brewer. It will go on sale in Ontario and Quebec in early April and nationally in late April, packaged in 250ml slim cans. "Shok is a great new beer that will challenge people's taste buds and traditional perceptions of the category." said Bob Chant, Labatt's director of corporate affairs. "It's completely different from anything else that's available today." Marketing for Shok will consist of television commercials accompanied by outdoor ads and some print advertisements.