Leading UK soft drinks manufacturer, AG Barr, has expanded its strategic partnership with the7stars to encompass Boost Drinks, which Barr acquired in a £20m deal in December 2022.
The energy, sports and iced-coffee brand was awarded after a closed pitch handled in-house. It follows a strong performance from the soft drinks manufacturer which announced annual revenue was up by five per cent in the 12 months to January 2025.
the7stars takes over Boost Drinks from the incumbent in February and will handle all media planning and buying in addition to Scotland’s national drink IRN-BRU, Rubicon and other AG Barr brands.
AG Barr appointed the7stars to manage its media account in 2022. Since then, IRN-BRU’s “Optimism is Back in Scotland” campaign became the second top-performing Euro 2024 ad, scoring five stars on the System1 platform (it was pipped at the post by the ever-reliable Paddy Power), and KA’s Be The Noise activation won a Media Week award for Best Use of Content 2024.
The extension of AG Barr’s media partnership with the7stars follows on from the recent appointment of Lucky Generals to its creative business.
Adrian Hipkiss, head of functional drinks at AG Barr, said: “I’m thrilled to appoint the7stars as our new media buying agency. With a deep understanding of the soft drinks market and indeed of AG Barr’s portfolio, the7stars have demonstrated a solid strategic approach, progressive thinking and an appetite to evolve our plans at pace.
“We’re delighted to embark on this new partnership and take Boost Drinks onto the next stage of its very exciting growth journey. The collaboration marks another milestone for us in engaging and growing our audience in dynamic and impactful ways.”
Emma Ramji, planning lead at the7stars, added: “We’re thrilled to be expanding our relationship with AG Barr. Boost Drinks holds a truly unique proposition within the functional drinks space – something for every need and occasion all at exceptional value for consumers. We’re excited to deliver a bold media approach that reflects the brand’s growth ambitions for 2025 and beyond.”
Founded in 2005, the7stars is the UK’s largest independent media agency, offering a full range of services including media planning, buying, creative, production, insight, and analytics. The award-winning agency is recognised for its unique approach and manages over £450m of billings for clients including Gousto, TSB, Associated British Foods, H&M, Nintendo, Entain, AG Barr, Royal Mail and People’s Postcode Lottery.
