The new product will mark the first-ever savoury item under the McVitie’s Penguin brand, famous for its chocolate sandwich biscuits.
Currently available in milk chocolate, orange, mint and caramel variants, a new savoury snack will now also bear the McVitie’s Penguin brand name.
McVitie’s ‘Penguin Bites’ are small penguin-shaped baked savoury snacks that will be sold in cheese, salt & vinegar and lightly salted flavours.
Available in ‘sharing boxes’ of 125g, the product will be sold at an RRP of £1.25 and will be available in major grocery retailers from 15 June.
Parent company pladis will back the snack’s launch with a concerted media campaign, with targeted support during the ‘Back to School’ period.
This will include planned in-store activations as well as social media and PR activity, centred around the strapline: “McVitie’s Penguin has gone crackers!”
“Penguin has some of the most recognisable distinct brand assets in the UK, with 92% awareness,” said Asli Ozen Turhan, chief marketing officer of pladis UK and Ireland.
“Our ambition is to make Penguin more than just a static character on chocolate biscuit bars. We want this cheeky icon’s wit and character to waddle into a new savoury era.”
She continued: “As the rise in family savoury snacking continues apace, alongside the increased growth in snacks suitable for sharing occasions, we’re pleased to meet these consumer needs alongside the demand for permissible, non-HFSS snacks with the launch of this baked savoury innovation, Penguin Bites.”
“Penguin Bites represents chapter one of our big plans for Penguin, which in consumer testing had stellar scores among parents and children: 80% found the idea appealing or very appealing, while 71% felt the concept was a good fit with the brand.”
