County Durham based Intersnack, the UK’s number one pretzel manufacturer, has appointed brand ideas company Different, design team The Roundhouse, and media specialists Press Ahead to relaunch its premium brand, Penn State.  The North East England based companies have been given the task of driving a high profile national marketing and PR campaign to support the new look Penn State.

Penn State was originally launched in 1997 and has since grown into the leading pretzel brand in the UK.  With sales trebling across the last three years, and a 60% distribution penetration in major multiples, the re-launch highlights Stanley based Intersnack’s commitment to investing in the brand.

Designed to position Penn State firmly in the minds of its 30 something female audience, the sophisticated new image for Penn State will be rolled out in store from June 2008.  The communications campaign will include an exclusive sponsorship deal with the Sky Movies Drama channel, sustained sales promotion activity, a national PR campaign and redesign of the packaging.

The brief, to develop and deliver an integrated above and below the line plan to launch and sustain Penn State Pretzels is led by Different with Press Ahead responsible for delivering a national PR campaign to both consumer and trade press.

Central to the relaunch is the redesign of the Penn State Pretzel pack itself expertly developed by Newcastle based design team The Roundhouse.  The company successfully retained this piece of business in the pitch and will also be responsible for developing a web-site for Penn State.

Steve Harger, Marketing Manager for Penn State, said:

“I am delighted to be working with a wealth of regional talent on the re-launch of Penn State, and what will be an exciting and high profile campaign. In pitching for this account, all companies demonstrated a great combination of strategic thinking and creativity, and in the process they beat off strong national competition to win the business.”
Ben Quigley, managing director of Different, comments:

“Penn State is a brand with huge potential. Consumers are becoming more and more discerning and sophisticated in their snacking habits and our aim is to help build brand share in a highly competitive marketplace.  The challenge is communicating to consumers that Penn State Pretzels are ideal for whenever you get that ‘Friday feeling’.”
Chris Lines, director of Press Ahead, adds:

“Penn State’s approach to the re-launch has embraced the concept of a fully integrated campaign from the start.  So, not only has the PR team been able to contribute to the development of the other communications activity, we have also been in a position to properly get under the skin of the brand.  As a result, we have put together targeted and comprehensive PR plans that are designed to very effectively complement all of the other marketing ideas.”

Ian Humpish, managing director of The Roundhouse, continues:

“We are delighted to continue our involvement with the Penn State Pretzels brand and build on our earlier work. Having initially created the current packaging design we are delighted to have this exciting creative opportunity to take the range onto the next level.”
Further a field, London based Steam will steer a national promotional push including product sampling and partner based activity; while media strategy and buying is in the hands of Manchester based Brilliant Media.