The full strength, low-carb beer market is set to heat up with Coles’ introduction of an in-house brand, Maxx Blonde.

On the verge of a newspaper advertising campaign, the Wesfarmers-owned supermarket chain will compete with big beer brand Foster’s Pure Blonde, along with Lion Nathan’s Boags Classic Blonde and Hahn Super Dry.

The Australian low-carb beer market is reportedly worth $600 million a year, with Pure Blonde being the first to market in 2004.

According to a Fairfax Media report, the chain denied its product was a copy of Pure Blonde, despite the similarities between the two products.

“It’s a very clever piece of brand leverage… Coles has by close association grafted the Pure Blonde brand values back into Maxx Blonde,” chief executive of advertising agency Lowe, Stephen Pearson, told Fairfax media.