AN advertising campaign showing country ladies wearing tweed - and thongs, has helped boost sales of Malvern Water.

Sales of the product are flying high and are ahead of purchases of bottled water as a whole following a successful rebranding of the product.

The company, which employs about 30 people at its bottling factory in Colwall, near Ledbury, has seen a 20 per cent increase in sales since the product re-launched at the end of last year. The company declined to give actual figures.

The aim of the re-launch, which included new graphics and pack formats, was to target a younger consumer and give the brand a more contemporary feel.

Advertising image

It was followed by a new ad campaign featuring, among other images, tweed-wearing women in thongs drinking the water, with the strapline 'Not quite middle England'.

"Since its re-launch in 2002, Malvern Original English Mineral Water has grown consistently in sales and distribution," said Judith Levey, spokeswoman for Malvern Water.

"We had a lot of fun with the creatives for the campaign and consumers tell us they like the traditional English scenarios with a modern day twist as portrayed in the ads.

"We anticipate the brand will now continue to grow over the following year and be successful."

The Malvern Water bottling factory lies within the conservation area of the Malvern Hills.

Malvern Water has been bottled at source since 1851 at the Primeswell Spring and is said to be a favourite with the Queen, who takes it wherever she goes.

It is filtered through Precambrian granite, which captures the taste of the natural spring.

The Coca Cola company took over Malvern Water in 1999 as part of its purchase of Schweppes Beverages.