A new shot-sized serve for cinnamon-and-whiskey liqueur Fireball heralds a half-million-pound support programme for the brand in the UK on-trade this year.
The exclusive Fireball Frat Cups are being rolled out to bars stocking the product by UK distributor Hi-Spirits as part of increased marketing investment by US brand owner Sazerac.
The cups are a branded 50ml version of the iconic red solo cups that are an essential accessory on the US college party scene.
Their launch in the UK coincides with the Fireball Freebie Friday campaign run via Facebook, which sees Fireball merchandise distributed every Friday in university and town centre bars around the UK during the first weeks of the new academic year.
Along with thousands of free products and the chance to sample Fireball, people can enter a competition to win a “holiday of lifetime” in Mexico. Fireball branding also appears on 80,000 bags distributed to students by JD Wetherspoon.
The brand will have high visibility on bars thanks to new Fireball chill machines in some venues.
Both Greene King and Marston’s are offering Fireball Frat Cups and point-of-sale materials to free-trade customers, with minimum stock orders applying.
Dan Bolton, managing director of Hi-Spirits, said: “With a £500,000 marketing budget specifically to support Fireball in the UK on-trade this year, the Fireball Frat Cups and our other exclusive POS will increase visibility and build sales in bars.”
Figures for global spirit sales collated by leading drinks industry analyst Impact Databank show that Fireball is the world’s fastest-growing spirit brand, with sales up by more than 130% in 2013. Fireball is now number 61 in the overall global premium spirits rankings.
