Independent Distillers launches Three Kings (video)

By Andrew Starke in Melbourne

Independent Distillers Australia (IDA) will launch a cross-category alcohol brand later this month with a beer, cider and RTD set to appeal to younger male drinkers.

Launching on October 11, IDA is set to introduce Three Kings – a cross-category alcohol brand comprising a vodka and ginger mix, a dry-style lager and an Australian apple cider.

“The cross category play is a bold one and certainly challenges the norms of alcohol brand launches,” said IDA marketing director, Steve Williams.

“By launching all three products together, the brand will be decisively positioned as one which offers three products of equal standing. We are confident the immediate unity of a launch across categories will provide the confidence and level of trust needed to see Three Kings succeed.”

While this venture aims to deliver a slice of the beer market to IDA it is also an attempt to cover all bases in appealing to a new wave of consumer whose choice of drink is not necessarily dictated by habit.

“We need to acknowledge the expanding repertoires of this generation. They are no longer just beer drinkers, they drink different products for different occasions,” said Williams.

“There is a need for such a brand in a rapidly evolving market and IDA has created Three Kings to appeal to this generation of men. For them, it’s not about the malt, the regionality of the water or the personality of the brewer. It’s about good times, good mates and stories that eventuate when these elements unite.”

Shared across the range is the black glass bottle, a unifying feature which allows consumers to move between categories.

The launch will be supported by an above the line campaign, digital promotion, public relations campaign and trade activity.

All three products will be available in six-packs of 330ml bottles and each has an ABV of 4.6 percent.

Three Kings Lager and Cider will have an RRP of $14.99 while Three Kings Vodka and Ginger will have an RRP of $21.99.

To watch an interview with Steve Williams, click on the video below.