Anyone who was alive in the seventies remembers Mellow Bird’s. This instant coffee beverage was an unlikely favourite in an otherwise tea-loving nation. While Kraft UK continued to market the drink well into the nineties, its advertising, along with its popularity, fell off during this period.

This campaign is different from every other one launched by the brand in its target audience: young people and college students. While the brand currently plans to keep its retro logo design, it will be repositioning itself as a younger, hipper alternative to the traditional “cuppa” with a new UK food and drink logo design.

The brand used to have a variety of slogans, including ‘For mellow moments’, ‘Mellow Bird’s will make you smile’, and ‘Mellow roasted for more flavour’. However, these are not appropriate for the younger audience. As a result, the new tagline will be ‘Born to be mild’, to emphasise the mellow taste of the beverage in comparison to other instant coffees. The advertising campaign will focus on humorous euphemisms that are effective and memorable to the younger generation.

Marketing so far has been focused on university campuses. Television ads are being shown on university television stations, and campus events are being sponsored by the coffee drink all over the UK. Sampling opportunities and music are sure to draw in a crowd of young people. In an unprecedented move for this type of product, posters will be placed in the toilets of bars frequented by university students.

In an innovative move, the company has decided to further promote the drink by selling Mellow Bird’s products at a specially designed eBay store. Not only can consumers and brand fans buy the product itself, they can also indulge in mugs, music, and even bedding, all at the same price as a jar of the coffee itself. This is likely to lure not just brand addicts, but people interested in a bargain as well.

Will this marketing move be successful? It’s hard to tell at this point. The advertising is innovative enough to catch the eye of the target audience. The low priced products will draw the attention of people living on a student’s budget, although they may draw in other elements and ultimately pull down the brand image. In the end, if students enjoy the taste of the product, which they will have ample opportunity to sample, there is good reason for it to become a campus favourite.

The change in tagline was a good decision because it offers a younger, fresher twist on the classic. The message is that this isn’t your mother’s morning coffee, but something new and fresh. However, a logo change might have been a good addition to this rebranding scheme.

Only time will tell if Mellow Bird’s becomes the drink of the younger generation. While this campaign is by no means comprehensive, it is well targeted and sure to get the attention of university students and other young people. Even with a retro logo, this company gets high marks for identifying a new market and pursuing them without reservation.