The newly rebadged CUB hasn’t had a good week. In a national beer market that declined by 6.8 per cent, they also managed to lose 1.2 per cent market share to Kirin-owned Lion Nathan. No doubt the champagne corks were popping over at Lion Nathan HQ at the news of their ‘win’. At Brews News we have previously described the situation as being like two school boys so intent on their fight over an ice-cream that they don’t notice it is melting. But that’s just us.

Carlton United Brewers response to the slide has been the campaign for Crown and today it launches its new campaign for VB.

VB’s newest campaign, to be launched today, aims to show VB is the best cold beer because its “specially brewed to deliver full flavour when ice cold.”

I would love to hear the science behind this claim and how it relates to scientific studies that show that taste – especially bitterness and sweetness – are diminished by cold temperatures and accentuated by warmth.

In this release they claim to outsell their nearest competitor by 81 million stubbies a year. Launching last year’s VB ‘Real’ campaign exactly a year ago they trumpeted that it outsells “its nearest competitor by over 101 million stubbies.” Perhaps the real link between VB and and a block of ice is that the former’s market share is melting as fast as the latter on a hot day.

The commercial and the media release are below. Enjoy.

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Australia’s best cold beer finds its perfect match in new ad campaign

9th September 2011: Tonight Australia’s best cold beer, VB, will premiere the first commercial for its summer campaign entitled ‘Destiny’. Developed by Droga5 Sydney, the new TVC tells Australians that VB is brewed to be the nation’s best cold beer, by bringing to life the idea that VB and ice were destined to be together.

‘Destiny’ follows on from recent campaigns including the award-winning ‘Regulars’, which told Australians who drinks VB, and ‘Cry’ that showed the country who doesn’t. The new ‘Destiny’ TVC goes one step further telling Australians why they should be drinking VB.

‘Destiny’ follows the journey of two things that are literally made to be together – a case of VB and a big bag of ice. Their parallel pathways are shown from production to purchase, until they unexpectedly collide at a backyard BBQ to fulfil their mutual destiny – to create The Best Cold Beer.

Craig Maclean, Senior Brand Manager for VB, said, “We wanted to focus on the heart of VB and that’s our beer. The new TVC puts the beer back in the spotlight by telling Australians why VB is the Best Cold Beer and that’s because its specially brewed to deliver full flavour when ice cold.”

“The ‘Destiny’ TVC is just the tip of the iceberg for VB this summer. It will lay the foundation for a significant program to demonstrate why VB is the best cold beer,” said Maclean.

Sudeep Gohil, Executive Planning Director at Droga5 Sydney, said, “The Best Cold Beer’ is so much more than a tagline. No other Australian beer holds its flavour when icy cold quite like VB, and this latest campaign is all about amplifying the brand’s DNA to a whole new generation of beer drinkers over the hot summer months.”

VB is committed to evolving the brand through a range of marketing initiatives and is currently performing strongly against its key competitors in their home states, growing share ahead of Tooheys New in New South Wales and 4X Bitter in Queensland1. VB continues to be Australia’s favourite beer, outselling its nearest competitor by nearly 81 million stubbies / cans a year2.

1. ACNeilson, Scantrack, F’11

2. Nielsen Packaged Beer Mar 2011 MAT

http://youtu.be/BPJxYKmxvpc