Last week the leading Belgian brewer Interbrew, relaunched the Australian beer brand Castlemaine XXXX on the UK market, Just-drinks.com reported. The relaunching was made through its subsidiary Interbrew UK. The company agreed to acquire the rights to the brand from Lion Nathan late last year. Previously Castlemaine XXXX was distributed by Carlsberg-Tetley in the UK.

"Interbrew UK, which took on responsibility for the brewing and marketing of Castlemaine XXXX on January 4th, is reinvigorating the brand through a redesign that will increase brand visibility in the on-trade and take home markets and force consumer re-appraisal," the company said.

The relaunch is made using a new packaging. An advertising campaign on promoting the brand will begin in spring. The new look is part of a £9m package of marketing support during 2003 - with a theme called "the Return of the Australian Classic".

Matthew King, marketing controller for Castlemaine XXXX at Interbrew UK, said: "We believe that Castlemaine XXXX has the branded credentials to become a major player in the standard lager sector once again”. "Our objective for Castlemaine XXXX is to re-establish it as a mainstream standard lager and to ensure that both customers and consumers see the brand as a credible offering. The sector is hugely important for us as a company because it accounts for a significant share of our business."

14 January, 2003