BIRDS EYE RELAUNCHES CORE ICONS & ANNOUNCES BOLD NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN WITH CAPTAIN BIRDSEYE

57 SKUs across four categories set to relaunch with improved quality or bigger pack sizes to provide even better consumer value

• Captain Birdseye makes an appearance in new TV ad to remind Brits of their affection for the Birds Eye brand
• Birds Eye agrees new annual ‘Tea Time’ sponsorship of The Simpsons with Channel 4
• Total campaign media spend of £8m

Leading frozen food brand, Birds Eye, has announced the relaunch of 57 core products as part of a new brand campaign celebrating the quality and value of four of its biggest icons: Fish Fingers, Garden Peas, Chicken Dippers and Chicken Grills. The campaign also sees the return of the nation’s favourite Captain Birds Eye in a bold new advertisement set to hit screens on Saturday 9^th April, reminding the nation that Birds Eye is everyone’s favourite tea-time staple.

Product Portfolio Relaunch

In one of its biggest-ever brand initiatives, Birds Eye is revitalising its core product range, with product quality improvements and pack-size increases that give consumers even better value for money. 57 SKUs across four categories are set to be relaunched in April, including bigger size Chicken Chargrills, new and even tastier Chicken Dippers, improved Oven Crispy Breadcrumb on Fish Fingers and bigger, better value Pea packs.

Steve Chantry, Birds Eye Marketing Director, comments: “This relaunch is about Birds Eye reclaiming the Great British Tea Time and driving growth back into the frozen food category. Birds Eye is eaten by 90% of all UK households and our product quality improvements and increased pack sizes will offer our consumers even better value for money. We are confident that this campaign will be a big hit and strengthen Birds Eye’s position as one the nation’s most loved and trusted brands.”

The campaign will also be supported by a trade-wide shopper marketing plan including front-of-store presence, gondola-end point-of-sale and promotional support. All updated Birds Eye packaging will include ‘The Birds Eye Difference’ tick icon on front-of-pack, guaranteeing Birds Eye’s commitment to improving quality and value as well as always creating delicious food, made from the best-quality ingredients with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Bold New Advertising Campaign

Launching on Saturday 9^th April, a new above-the-line campaign is set to capture the excitement of a Birds Eye tea time as seen through the eyes of a child. Filmed with an air of magical realism, the advertisement opens with a young boy with a difference – he has a tail, which wags with enthusiasm and excitement as he skips and bounds home from school for his Birds Eye tea.

The story unfolds through his journey home, with different scenes and encounters. He runs through a field full of Birds Eye peas, with pods popping, to a quaint harbour where a fishing boat is bringing in the daily catch, steered by Captain Birdseye. After over a decade away from the nation’s screens, Birds Eye is bringing back Captain Birdseye in a nod to the brand’s heritage. The Captain, instantly recognisable in the UK, has been helping mums provide kids with their first taste of fish since the 1960s and his presence in the new ad helps to communicate the brand’s heritage and universal trustworthiness.

The ad ends with the boy arriving home, his tail drooping with disappointment when he thinks that his mum has not made his favourite Birds Eye tea. However, he soon realises that mum has arranged it in the garden instead and his tail starts wagging furiously as he sees all his favourites: Birds Eye Fish Fingers, Potato Waffles and Peas.

In addition to the new ad campaign, Birds Eye has signed a new deal with Channel 4. From 1^st April, a series of idents will air daily and are set to be seen by over 70% of housewives with kids during animated sitcom, The Simpsons. The partnership with Channel 4 will see the hero of the new ad feature in each ident and gives Birds Eye the perfect opportunity to introduce even more UK families to its product range and promote brand messaging.

With a total investment of £8m, the new Birds Eye campaign will run across TV, VOD, cinema, in–store, out-of-home and digital media. Birds Eye will also continue its focus on digital and social platforms.

Chantry continues: “2016 is set to be a really exciting year for Birds Eye and we’re looking forward to taking our brand in a fresh direction with the new campaign. We know that consumers remember our products from their childhood with fondness and we believe the new ad will not only reignite their latent love for the brand, but also reassure them that Birds Eye is committed to quality and is a cut-above other brands. The reappearance of the Captain after so many years is also an exciting step for us and we look forward to bringing back memories for those that remember him, as well as introducing him to a brand new audience.”

The new TV ad campaign airs from Saturday 9^th April (Simpsons from 1^st April)