WKD 30th Anniversary Relaunch Led by Continuous with £10m Creative Programme

WKD has appointed Liverpool-based brand agency Continuous as its lead creative partner for a multi-year programme that will underpin the RTD’s 30th‑anniversary relaunch in 2026 — a campaign backed by a reported investment north of £10 million and positioned as the brand’s most ambitious moment in recent memory.

Background​

WKD launched in the mid‑1990s and rose to household recognition across the UK as a high‑profile ready‑to‑drink (RTD) brand with a distinctive, irreverent personality. Ownership has transitioned over time to SHS Drinks, which now steers WKD’s portfolio and marketing strategy. The brand has recently broadened its range and packaging formats — including can multipacks and flavored extensions such as Cherry Ice and the energy‑adjacent WKD X sub‑brand — while executing on‑the‑ground activations and overseas sampling events targeted at core 18–24 consumers.
Industry trade reporting around the end of 2025 and into early 2026 frames WKD’s anniversary relaunch as a major strategic reset: SHS Drinks is committing a significant media and activation budget across TV, digital, experiential and shopper marketing, and has consolidated new agency partners around a refreshed creative platform. While some press releases describe WKD as a market leader in certain RTD subcategories, that “number one” positioning should be treated carefully — market share and ranking vary by source, by subcategory (wine‑based alcopops, spirit‑based RTDs, hard seltzers), and by reporting period. The relaunch is explicitly aimed at regaining momentum among younger drinkers and re‑energising WKD’s cultural presence ahead of its 30th birthday.

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What the appointment means: scope and signals​

The brief in outline​

Continuous will act as WKD’s lead agency for creative strategy and campaign delivery during the anniversary year and beyond. The remit includes:

• Developing the long‑term creative platform that frames the 2026 anniversary campaign.
• Leading consumer and trade activations that aim to be culturally resonant and performance‑driven.
• Working alongside SHS Drinks and incumbent specialist agencies (media, PR, on‑trade) to coordinate an integrated plan spanning TV/VOD, digital, experiential and shopper marketing.

The agency’s appointment follows a competitive pitch and has been framed by both parties as a strategic, multi‑year relationship rather than a single campaign buy.

Financial and media signals​

SHS Drinks’ planned investment for 2026 has been widely reported as more than £10 million, with spends earmarked across several channels:

• TV and Video‑on‑Demand, with a stated focus on younger viewers.
• Digital and social, prioritising growth and measurable direct response.
• Experiential activations, aimed at driving trial and cultural visibility in holiday hotspots and youth venues.
• Shopper and in‑store activity, designed to convert awareness into retail footfall and basket share.

The decision to step away from a previous broadcaster sponsorship model in favour of a brand‑owned national campaign signals a strategic pivot: rather than leveraging large‑scale program sponsorships, the brand will assert more control over messaging and audience targeting via its own campaigns and experiential calendar.

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Continuous: what they bring to the table​

Agency profile and credentials​

Continuous is a Liverpool‑born brand agency that positions itself on strategy, creative and brand transformation. The agency has grown visibility in recent years through a mix of category work and retail‑facing briefs. Leadership statements from both Continuous and SHS Drinks emphasise strategic rigour and sector knowledge as decisive in the selection.
Key strengths that Continuous is expected to contribute include:

• A brand‑first creative approach tuned to heritage brands needing to modernise.
• Experience in packaging and identity refreshes, relevant to the announced identity update.
• A regional perspective with national capability, which can help craft culturally authentic executions that scale.

Creative leadership and team experience​

Continuous’ recent hires and leadership moves suggest an emphasis on creative seniority and strategic planning. The agency’s profile indicates capacity to coordinate cross‑discipline teams across strategy, creative, shopper and experiential delivery — capabilities that line up with WKD’s multi‑channel brief.

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Market context: RTDs, consumers and competition​

The RTD category today​

Ready‑to‑drink beverages are among the fastest changing segments in the UK alcohol market. Retail and convenience reporting through 2024–2025 shows:

• Strong category growth in convenience and impulse channels, with RTD value growth outpacing some legacy categories.
• Canned formats and ready chilled consumption continue to grow in preference due to portability and single‑serve convenience.
• Flavour innovation and higher‑ABV variants are expanding market opportunities, but subcategory performance (e.g., hard seltzers vs. spirit‑based RTDs) remains uneven.

For brands competing in the RTD space, the dynamic mix of on‑trade recovery, off‑trade convenience demand, and evolving youth drinking patterns makes precise targeting and flexible creative formats essential.

WKD’s recent performance signals​

Recent trade reporting highlights mixed signals for WKD:

• Some outlets cite sales gains in discrete periods — for example, doubled growth in impulse channels or strong performance from WKD X — that are being used to justify the relaunch investment.
• Other trade analyses suggest structural pressure on established RTD names, partly driven by changing consumption patterns and increased competition from new entrants and global RTD brands.

This ambiguous picture explains SHS Drinks’ sizable investment: the company aims both to capitalise on category momentum and to arrest any longer‑term softness via a brand refresh and marketing surge.

Competitive environment​

WKD competes with a broader set of RTD players — established alcopop/RTD incumbents, spirit‑led canned cocktails, and newer high‑ABV or value propositions. International RTD names and emerging domestic challengers are increasingly competing for shelf space and youth attention with aggressive price, format and flavour innovation.

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Creative strategy: opportunities and strategic priorities​

Leverage heritage without sounding dated​

WKD’s heritage — three decades of presence in UK youth culture — is a commercial asset if handled correctly. The creative challenge is to preserve the brand’s distinctive tone while ensuring relevance to Gen Z and younger millennials.
Priority creative levers:

• Iconic design cues (colour, typography, neon‑led aesthetics) refreshed for a modern execution system.
• Limited‑edition drops and collectible packaging to drive both trial and social content.
• Nostalgia‑led storytelling repurposed as playful, modern moments rather than retro copy.

Make experiential measurable​

Experiential will likely be central to the anniversary plan. To deliver business impact, activations must be designed with measurement in mind:

• Trackable sampling mechanics (QR codes, SMS capture, digital couponing).
• Integrated social content plans to amplify live moments.
• Clear in‑store follow‑through to convert experiential interest into purchases.

Tactical creative recommendations​

• Pull a consistent visual identity across TV, social and retail POS to increase memorability.
• Use short‑form video formats optimised for vertical feeds and content stacks (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) to reach younger audiences with high frequency and low friction.
• Develop an influencer partner model centred on creators who own moments (pre‑drinks, festival weekends, holiday trips) rather than celebrity endorsements alone.

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Risks and regulatory considerations​

Advertising rules and responsible marketing​

Alcohol advertising in the UK operates within strict regulatory frameworks designed to protect under‑18s and prevent irresponsible messaging. Key considerations:

• Ad content must not target or appeal primarily to under‑18s; creative must be age‑appropriate and avoid youth culture tropes that cross regulatory lines.
• Sampling and experiential activities must implement robust age‑verification and responsible service policies.
• Media buys must avoid placements with disproportionately high youth audiences.

Non‑compliance risks include complaint escalations, reputational damage and potential enforcement action — all outcomes that can blunt campaign effectiveness.

Brand dilution and alienation​

A major relaunch risks alienating legacy consumers if the creative direction leans too far from WKD’s DNA. Conversely, insufficient change will fail to excite new cohorts. Balancing legacy loyalty with recruitment of new drinkers is a strategic tightrope.

Competitive and retail risks​

• Heavy promotional discounting by competitors can erode margin and reduce the impact of above‑the‑line investment.
• Retailers control prime shelf space and promotional slots; without strong trade partnerships, in‑store conversion may underperform.
• The RTD market is sensitive to price and trend volatility; a one‑off marketing blitz without product and distribution readiness can underdeliver.

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Tactical rollout: a recommended 12‑month plan​

• Early Q1: Finalise refreshed visual identity and campaign creative platform; freeze key assets for TV and digital.
• Q1–Q2: Launch pre‑anniversary teaser phase with social countdowns, influencer unboxings and limited in‑store visibility.
• Q2: National TV/VOD launch supporting flagship hero creative; aligned paid social push with bespoke creative for short‑form formats.
• Q2–Q3: Experiential city hub tour and holiday‑season activations (targeted sampling in hotspots); integrate CRM capture mechanics.
• Q3: Trade and shopper activation peak — in‑store theatre, POS rollouts, trade incentives, and bundle offers for multipacks.
• Q3–Q4: Seasonal limited‑edition flavours and packaging drops (collectible cans/bottles) to sustain earned media and repeat purchase.
• Ongoing: Measurement cadence weekly/monthly; iterative creative refreshes based on performance and social listening.
• Year‑end: Post‑campaign evaluation and learning deck to inform 2027 roadmap, including product and channel investments.

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Measurement and KPIs​

For a campaign of this scale, metrics must be both brand and performance oriented. Priority KPIs:

• Brand awareness and perception uplift (pre‑ and post‑campaign tracking).
• Purchase intent and trial rates among target cohorts (18–24 and adjacent groups).
• Sales lift in target channels (convenience, multiples, on‑trade) measured against baseline and control markets.
• Sampling‑to‑purchase conversion and redemption rates for experiential coupons.
• Share of voice and social engagement metrics, with emphasis on reach, view‑through rates and conversion actions from short‑form content.
• Responsible marketing compliance checks and incident reporting to ensure regulatory alignment.

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Strategic strengths of the relaunch​

• Bold investment: A seven‑figure media and activation budget gives WKD the ability to achieve national reach and make a cultural statement.
• Clear target audience: A focused effort on younger drinkers aligns with long‑term category demand and brand life‑cycle needs.
• Product momentum: Innovations like WKD X and new flavour variants provide tangible reasons to communicate.
• Integrated partner model: Appointing a lead creative agency alongside specialist media and trade partners supports coordinated execution and reduces fragmentation.

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Where the plan could fail​

• Weak measurement design: Without tight controls and rapid testing, the brand risks spending heavily without clear ROI.
• Regulatory missteps: Any perceived appeal to under‑18s or irresponsible consumption could prompt complaints and derail the campaign’s momentum.
• Retail execution gaps: If shopper marketing and trade incentives lag behind above‑the‑line, media investment will not translate into sustained sales.
• Creative dissonance: Positioning that clashes with consumer perceptions of authenticity could undermine both heritage fans and new recruits.

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How Continuous should demonstrate value quickly​

• Deliver a rapid creative pilot: a micro‑launch in a few high‑value towns or retailers to validate messaging and POS mechanics, with full reporting within four weeks.
• Use measurable experiential mechanics: every activation should produce a first‑party contact (email/SMS/QR) to support short‑term conversion and long‑term CRM value.
• Prioritise content velocity: supply creative verticals to platforms weekly to keep the brand in the feeds while TV runs at scale.
• Run retail and media tests in parallel: A/B test campaign creatives against different shopper promotions to identify the best performing bundle of creative + pricing.

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Final assessment​

The WKD 30th anniversary relaunch is a decisive moment for a category‑defining RTD that must balance heritage with cultural currency. The appointment of Continuous as lead agency signals SHS Drinks’ intention to anchor the anniversary in a refreshed creative platform rather than a single sponsorship gambit. The reported £10m+ investment and multi‑channel plan provide the resources necessary to execute at scale; however, success hinges on measurable activation, strict regulatory compliance, and tight trade co‑ordination.
If Continuous and SHS Drinks align creative ambition with disciplined testing, retail partnerships and fast measurement, the relaunch can stabilise WKD’s commercial trajectory and re‑establish it as a culturally loud RTD brand for the next generation. If the campaign lacks rigorous measurement, trade alignment or responsible safeguards, the large spend may produce ephemeral buzz without long‑term brand or sales uplift.
The coming months will show whether this anniversary becomes a template for modernising heritage drinks brands, or a cautionary example of how nostalgia and scale must be married to modern operational discipline to produce meaningful results.

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Source: Prolific North Liverpool agency gets in the WKD for drinks brand's 30th anniversary - Prolific North