Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles - Marketing and Advertising

Marketing and Advertising

The 1972 television advertising campaign used the song Pistol Packin' Mama with the tag line "Pastille Pickin' Mama, pass those pastilles round".

To drive awareness of the 25% fruit juice recipe in Fruit Pastilles, Rowntree conducted a 105-day experimental marketing campaign. At family events, top-end grocers and service stations they invited families to join in their 'What Can You Do But Chew?' talent shows, tying in with the brand's sponsorship of Britain's Got Talent. 427,240 product samples were distributed as brand ambassadors tried to engage parents with the '25% fruit juice' message. 93% of the consumers involved said they'd had a positive shift in brand perception, whilst more than half were 'highly likely' to purchase post campaign.

A new ad for the product (and the brand as a whole) shows a man about to chew on a Fruit Pastille, when he is surrounded by medieval people who declare whether he'd chew the pastille or go out on a date with a fair maiden. He in the end has to chew. The ad concludes with the message "Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles with real fruit flavour. You can't help but chew!". Variants of this ad had introductions for Sour Pastilles and the smaller Pick & Mix bags afterwards.