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Magners Light keeps up the fight in cider wars – but at what price

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Mel Varley, Latest reporters' blogs April 21st, 2008 by Melinda Varley

Cider has become a popular drink in recent years, and not just over summer, with Magners’ Irish Cider topping the cider charts. However, the arrival of rival brands including Bulmer’s has obviously scared Magners, which is driving innovation in the market forcing it to introduce a low calorie version.

You’d have to be off on a pre-summer mini break to miss the burst of advertising for Magners Light over the past couple of days. And now it seems we won’t be able to escape it as the cider brand today launched further marketing activity in hair salons and gyms.

As summer slowly drifts in we are seeing just as many ads for gyms and diet pills – so why would a cider brand want to advertise in the places we are going to try and look better?

If I’m sweating it out at the gym I tend not to think so much about what low calorie alcoholic drinks I can now consume in order to stay on track with the diet plan – in fact I try and think of ways in which I could wean myself off alcohol.

Despite the fact it never actually works, I think advertising in gyms of alcoholic beverages, no matter how low the calories are, is a very bad idea. Especially when the UK government is already blaming the alcohol industry for anti social behaviour and obesity.

Further more, even though Magners Light has only 28 kcal per 100ml, it still contains the same alcohol strength as Magners Original at 4.5 per cent. Less for more in a sector that is already under fire.

By advertising in gyms, and this is just a guess on how women think, women will think it is ok to drink this Light version of cider. Being the same percentage of alcohol content they will still get drunk and still have that forbidden, and soon forgotten, kebab or cheese burger on the way home – therefore defeating the whole purpose of both the Light version and the gym. Just a though – not that that’s what I would do…

To read the related news story click here