WKD Original Vodka

WKD Original Vodka is a brand of alcopop produced by Beverage Brands. It is sold and heavily marketed in the United Kingdom and Ireland with the slogan ‘Have you got a WKD side?’ (Have you got a wicked side?), and also in many countries in mainland Europe. AC Nielsen ranked it as the number-one UK ready-to-drink brand in 2006.[1]

Product information

All varieties currently contain 4% ABV. This was originally 5.5%, but it was changed to 5% in October 2003[2] and reduced to 4.5% on 25 July 2005. The drink was first marketed in Scotland under the name 'Wicked' and was launched in August 1996. Initially available in 330ml bottles, the bottles were later reduced to 275ml, matching other alcopops. The individual 275ml bottles are sold in pubs, bars, and shops across the UK, with shops also selling multipacks of 4 and 12. The larger 700ml bottles are sold in shops.

Varieties

Orange coloured, Irn-Bru flavour.
Blue coloured, mixed fruit flavour.
Red coloured, cherry flavour.
Cider-based drink, apple flavoured, green colour. Introduced 2009.
A Mixed Berry flavour drink, purple colour.

Discontinued varieties

Clear coloured, tropical flavour ("WKD Silver") No longer sold.
Yellow coloured, apple flavoured – but not cider based.

Advertising

WKD Vodka has been heavily promoted in the UK. Promotion includes a TV advertising campaign, a national poster campaign, scoreboard sponsorship at Premiership football clubs, giving out samples in bars and clubs, sponsorship, and student tours. Their catchphrase "Have you got a WKD side?" was launched in 2000 and hit TV screens in 2001. The TV adverts feature men pulling pranks or behaving in a strange or selfish manner for the beverage.[3]

Along with several other alcopop or RTD producers, WKD have been accused by the UK ASA of using advertising which was likely to appeal to under-18s,[4] resulting in some of their TV adverts being banned.

Sponsorship

WKD was a sponsor of the "WKD Shed Sports Show" which aired on Nuts TV, which had its own channel on Freeview and Sky but closed on 15 January 2009.

WKD has been a sponsor of the "WKD Nuts Football Awards" since this annual event began in 2006.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "WKD surges to become no. 1 RTD brand". Beverage Brands / AC Nielson. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  2. ↑ "WKD reduces ABV and passes duty saving on to customers". SHS Drinks formerly Beverage Brands. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  3. ↑ "Our Brands". SHS Drinks formerly Beverage Brands. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  4. ↑ "TV alcopops adverts 'broke rules'". BBC News Online. 26 September 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  5. ↑ http://www.comeonboro.com/awards/500013.php

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.