United Biscuits (UB) has launched a new £10m advertising campaign for Jacob’s.

The campaign, which will see all its savoury biscuits and baked snacks under the single masterbrand of Jacob’s, including its crackers, crispbreads and flatbreads, and brands such as Mini Cheddars, Oddities and Twiglets, follows on from the re-launch of the manufacturer’s McVitie’s brands in February this year.

UB said the initiative was part of its efforts to grow the savoury biscuits category, which has significant potential in the UK, where currently around 18% of all biscuits eaten are savoury.

While the figure has doubled in the past 15 years, it remains far below those for the USA (45%) and Australia (40%). Under the new Jacob’s masterbrand, the ambition is to grow its retail sales value (RSV) by 20% over the next two-and-a-half years.

Three 30-second commercials, which hit screens from today (Wednesday 2April), feature award-winning comedian and writer Jason Cook as Jacob the Baker, spreading a passion for wholesome, baked and tasty snacks with the strapline line ‘Snack Happy’. The ads, created by Publicis, were inspired by the insight that people want to enjoy savoury snacks and crackers, which are baked with wholesome kitchen cupboard ingredients.

Campaign

Martin Glenn, chief executive of UB,said: “Our new campaign for Jacob’s is the next step in our strategy. It will improve and simplify the shopping experience for customers, putting all our savoury brands clearly under the same premium masterbrand. Through this investment we aim to grow our brands and the broader savoury biscuit category.

“This follows a highly successful re-launch for our sweet products under the McVitie’s brand earlier in 2014. Both campaigns tap into consumers’ love for our products, which are established as heritage brands worldwide.”

The first 30-second advert will air at 19.28pm tonight on ITV1, during Coronation Street. The £10m campaign runs from 2 April and will continue throughout the year with the 30-second ads being supported by the cracker maker’s biggest ever in-store, PR, press and online marketing, including a significant push on Jacob’s social media channels and PR. To view the ads, visit www.jacobs.co.uk.