Labatt Breweries of Canada’s line extension to its lower-priced Wildcat beer, Wildcat Strong, will use daily newspapers and transit busboards to get its message out to the Ontario beer market.

Roman Mikolich, account supervisor at Wildcat’s shop, D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles in Toronto, says newspaper ads will be a ‘huge part of the mix’ for Wildcat Strong and should run from late September to the end on the year.

Mikolich says he is not sure when the busboard part of the campaign will break, but it will run four to eight weeks when it gets going.

Wildcat is sold only in Ontario at the moment, although other markets are under consideration.

Wildcat Strong is a slightly darker, more full-bodied beer than the Wildcat regular strength brew.

It has an alcohol level of 6.1% by volume, and is being sold in 12- and 24-bottle cases and six packs of cans.

Paul Smith, public relations director at Labatt, says a case of 24 Wildcat Strong costs $24.90. A 24 case of Wildcat regular beer costs $23.70.

Smith says 24 bottles of Labatt’s best-seller Blue cost $26.40.