pladis, the global snacking company behind some of the UK’s most loved and iconic brands, is inviting British consumers to enjoy their favourite McVitie’s plain biscuit with a cup of PG Tips tea in a new limited edition partnership for the brands.
The lead up to Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity for these much-loved brands to come together under the tagline, Cosy Season Isn’t Over Yet.
“Brits love their tea and biscuits, and 65% pair Sweet Biscuits with a cup of tea. When it comes to the consumer favourite however, 87% of McVitie’s sweet biscuits are consumed with a hot drink, so we are thrilled to partner with another iconic British brand, PG Tips, to launch this campaign,” explains Bethan Ashman, brand manager, pladis UK&I.
“This is an fmcg match made in heaven, particularly during the winter months when tea and biscuits play a crucial role to warm and comfort consumers on colder days. We are delivering a best-in-class shopper campaign supported by off-shelf feature to land the cross-category occasion, and we will support with upweighted promotions on our McVitie’s key SKUs.
“We want to further drive consumption and remind our consumers of the ideal pairing of tea and biscuits at the time of year when we know tea and biscuit consumption peaks.”
The focus of the partnership is McVitie’s hero plain biscuit range: Digestives, Hobnobs and Rich Tea, as these are the biscuits most consumed during the tea break occasion – 41.9% of tea breaks – vs their chocolate counterparts at 39.8%. However, the nation’s chocolate lovers can also pick up a pack of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives or Chocolate Hobnobs as part of the partnership if they are looking for a sweeter treat.
“As the #1 Sweet Biscuit Brand in the UK, McVitie’s is uniquely positioned to celebrate this British tradition,” concludes Ashman. “By bringing tea and biscuits together, we want to remind consumers of the special role that our brand plays in their day-to-day lives, whether it’s sharing a special moment with a loved one, cheering someone up when they are down or simply indulging in a moment of ‘me’ time.”
The McVitie’s x PG Tips partnership is rolling out across grocery and wholesale now, and is live until mid-April.
Meanwhile in Ireland, the McVitie’s plain biscuit stable of brands is activating a similar partnership with consumer favourite, Lyons Tea. As in the UK, the Cosy Season Isn’t Over Yet campaign leads with an instore promotion, as well as best-in-class shopper execution designed to drive trial by encouraging shoppers to pick up tea and biscuits with a market-leading deal. The Ireland McVitie’s x Lyons partnership is live across retail and wholesale from 23 February to 3 March.
