VK, the leading RTD from Global Brands, is visiting 70 on-trade venues across 13 cities on a month-long tour of the UK's biggest universities, as part of an awareness drive for the brand.

Promotional teams, the VK bus and a film crew are visiting key accounts during the Fresher's and new University term period to find out how students, 'Make a VKend of it', as part of the £10m marketing campaign.

Students, VK's primary target market, will be filmed enjoying themselves with friends in pubs and bars across the UK, before the videos are uploaded onto VK's Facebook page. To secure brand loyalty, students can then 'tag' themselves in the videos to be in with a chance to win prizes.

Global Brands Marketing Director, Simon Green commented: "The first few weeks of the University term, especially for the first years, are some of the most memorable weeks of student's lives. The VK Fresher's Tour is about connecting with our target audience at this key time, documenting their nights out and interacting with them via Facebook.

"This activity is designed to keep VK at the forefront of student's minds, not only now, but for the rest of the year. It's a follow up to another summer spent activating at some of the UK's biggest music festivals, and it's just another part of the biggest ever consumer awareness drive for the brand."

"This element of 'Make a VKend of it' is also about ongoing support for our customers, and the first few tour dates have seen footfall and sales of VK double in key accounts."

In terms of volume growth, VK is the best performing RTD in the on trade. VK is outselling leading RTD brands by a four to one ratio in some instances*.

The £10million 'Make a VKend Of It' campaign launched in January 2011 with an aim to reinvigorate the RTD category and re-connect with consumers.

(Source: *CGA Data 9L cases MAT PO7 2011)