Thatchers Cider has launched a new integrated summer campaign with customer experience agency Initials CX, as it looks to tap into key seasonal occasions across the UK.

The campaign, titled Brighter Days Call for a Better Cider, will run from May to September and span on and off-trade activations, festival and experiential activity, as well as retail communications.

It has been designed to bring Thatchers’ “Perfection in Every Drop” positioning into real-world summer occasions, from festivals and pub gardens to cricket matches, barbecues and social gatherings.

The campaign builds on the visual identity used in Thatchers’ animated above-the-line work, translating its distinctive creative world into shopper and consumer-facing touchpoints.

With support from Aardman, Initials CX developed seven bespoke key visuals for through-the-line communications, designed to connect the Thatchers brand world with everyday moments where consumers are looking for a quality cider.

The creative moves beyond traditional summer drinks tropes focused solely on sunshine and hot weather, instead tapping into the broader optimism associated with longer days, brighter evenings and shared social occasions.

Initials CX said the campaign platform gives Thatchers a flexible creative idea that can work consistently across different channels and occasions during one of the most important trading periods for the cider category.

The work also marks a new client relationship for Initials CX, which is supporting Thatchers on shopper activations.

Initials CX client services director Julie Sexton said: “Summer is an incredibly important moment for the cider category, but it is also one of the noisiest.

“The challenge was creating something that felt distinctly Thatchers without falling into the same seasonal cliches that dominate the market every year.

“Brighter Days Call for Better Cider allowed us to focus on the feeling people associate with this time of year rather than simply the weather itself, while also giving the brand a flexible platform that could work consistently across every channel and occasion.”

Thatchers Cider head of activation Emma Weber added: “Aardman captured the spirit of the Thatchers brand through their animation brilliantly, so we’re excited to further extend the experience beyond the screen and connect with consumers, through meaningful summer occasions.

“Cider and summer go together perfectly, so there’s no better way to celebrate a festival, cricket match or BBQ, than with a refreshing Thatchers in hand.”

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