Diageo Great Britain is putting £5 million behind a launch marketing campaign for its new Smirnoff vodka and Cola pre-mix, with in-store sampling and partnerships with retailer loyalty cards.

As part the marketing campaign, a heavyweight TV advertising campaign will be running nationally from mid-April 2010 and throughout the summer. This will be supported by in store activity, including digital, trade advertising, loyalty card activity, point of sale and a £450,000 sampling investment across 4,500 stores.

Charlotte Brown, innovations commercialisation manager at Diageo GB, says: “We expect Smirnoff and Cola to be a real winner and a key driver in making spirits as convenient as beer and wine in the homes of consumers. Shoppers tell us that they are after a great taste that’s ideal for what we refer to as ‘transition occasions’ at home. This is the time of day, from 6.00pm to 9.00pm on a weekday or weekend, when people are either winding down for the day or preparing for a night out.”