'Wine Spectator' Runs TV Ads

With oenophilia (that’s fancy talk for wine-liking) already something of a national obsession, Wine Spectator is looking to reach new audiences with its first-ever television advertising campaign, the gustatory enthusiast publication announced this week. 

Timed to coincide with its December 31, 2015 issue, highlighting “Top 100 Wines of the Year,” Wine Spectator’s 30-second spot uses beautiful landscape and lifestyle imagery to give viewers a taste of “The Wonderful World of Wine Spectator,” according to the tagline. The ad closes with the cover of the December issue and a call to action. It will debut with evening placements on the Fox News Channel beginning this week.

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Probably not coincidentally, over half the people pictured in the ad are women: while women make up 52% of the U.S. population, they account for 59% of all wine purchases, according to research firm Canadean. Meanwhile, the overall trend in U.S. wine consumption is unmistakably upwards, soaring from 665 million gallons in 2004 to 893 million gallons in 2014, according to data from the Wine Institute. 

The new ad comes as Wine Spectator faces competition from a growing array of wine publications, Web sites, and apps; the latter category includes apps like Hello Vino, Vivino, Drync, Delectable and Corkz. Wine Spectator has its own app, WineRatings+, which as its name indicates includes the publication’s signature point rankings.

Among established publications, in October Time Inc.’s Food & Wine unveiled a sweeping makeover of its Web site with a responsive mobile-first design, revamped navigation, an array of new content, and new e-commerce capabilities. F&W’s also formed a partnership with Drizly for home delivery of alcoholic beverages. Wine Enthusiast magazine re-launched its print edition last year.

 
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