Premier Foods has announced that its Nimble brand will come under the umbrella of Hovis from January 2009. The lower-fat and calorie bread is to be rebranded as Hovis Nimble, with a supporting £1m advertising campaign to start in the New Year.

Premier believe the change will benefit both brands, especially as healthy eating is an increasingly important issue for consumers. Recent data from an MB tracking study (2008) showed 57% of the population actively look for foods deemed as healthy.

It is expected that Hovis’ brand credentials will enable Nimble to expand its market share in the dieting sector.

“Nimble is a strong brand with loyal consumers and will positively impact Hovis’ market share by generating additional sales in a new sector,” said Jon Goldstone, marketing director at Hovis.

“There is a natural synergy between Hovis and Nimble, with both brands already enjoying strong health perceptions among consumers.”

Nimble was originally launched in 1955 and we later relaunched in 2006.