Biscuit maker Bahlsen is to take on McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes with a new six-figure advertising campaign for its Messino cake – an “upmarket oblong Jaffa”.

The drive to take market share from McVitie’s followed news that sales of Bahlsen’s Messino range were up 94% year-on-year.

The new television advertisement will launch on Monday 5 July and will showcase the range, targeting the “bull’s eye Jaffa customer” – 16-24-year-olds, as well as Bahlsen’s more traditional followers, aged 35+.

Commenting on an independent study carried out by Principles Research, Jon Dance, marketing manager at Bahlsen UK, said: “Seven out of 10 people from the trial said they were ‘very likely’ to buy our range – which proves the Messino Jaffa Cake meets the expectations of discerning consumers.”

Bahlsen has secured listings for the cakes in Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and The Co-operative in the past year, and continues to be sold in Waitrose and Tesco.

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