WKD Original Vodka

WKD Original Vodka (pronounced "wicked") is a brand of alcopop manufactured by Beverage Brands. It is sold and heavily marketed in the United Kingdom, with the slogan 'Have you got a WKD side?' (Have you got a wicked side?). AC Nielson ranked it as the no. 1 UK ready-to-drink brand in 2006 [cite web
url=http://www.beverage-brands.co.uk/news/NewsArticle.aspx?id=47&action=archive
title=WKD surges to become no. 1 RTD brand
accessdate=2008-01-18
work=Beverage Brands / AC Nielson] .

Product information

Varieties

* WKD Original Vodka Iron Brew ("WKD Orange" or "WKD original"): Orange coloured, Irn-Bru flavour.
* WKD Original Vodka Blue ("WKD Blue") : Blue coloured, bubblegum/blue cranberry flavour.
* WKD Original Vodka Red ("WKD Red"): Red coloured, mixed fruit flavour.
* WKD Original Vodka Silver: Clear coloured, tropical flavour ("WKD Silver") (No longer sold)

All varieties are 5%. This was originally 5.5% but was changed in October 2003 [cite web
url=http://www.beverage-brands.co.uk/news/NewsArticle.aspx?id=31&action=archive
title=WKD reduces ABV and passes duty saving on to customers
accessdate=2008-01-18
work=Beverage Brands] . The drink was first marketed in Scotland under the name 'Wicked' and launched in August 1996. Initially available in 330ml bottles, the bottles were later reduced to 275ml, matching other alcopops. The individual 275ml bottles are sold in pubs, bars and shops across the UK, with shops also selling multipacks of 4 and 12. The larger 700ml bottles are sold in shops only.

Advertisement

WKD Vodka has been heavily promoted in the UK. Promotion includes a TV advertising campaign, a national poster campaign, scoreboard sponsorship at Premiership football clubs, giving out samples in bars and clubs, sponsorship, and student tours. Their catchphrase is "Have you got a WKD side?" was launched in 2000 and hit TV screens in 2001. The TV adverts feature men pulling pranks or behaving in a strange manner. Young males are the primary consumers of the brand [cite web
url=http://www.beverage-brands.co.uk/brands/default.asp
title=Our Brands
accessdate=2008-01-08
work=Beverage Brands] .

Along with several other alcopop or RTD producers, WKD have been accused by the UK ASA of using advertising which was likely to appeal to under-18s [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5383504.stm
date=2006-09-26
title=TV alcopops adverts 'broke rules'
accessdate=2008-01-08
work=BBC News Online] , resulting in some of their TV adverts being banned.

ponsorship

WKD is a sponsor of the Nuts TV show "WKD Shed Sports Show".

References

External links

* [http://www.wkd.co.uk Official Website]