• by Larissa Faw , September 7, 2018

Yellow Tail is appointing The BAM Connection as the wine brand's AOR without a review. The Casella Wines-owned brand previously worked with the Burns Group.

Led by Maureen Maldari, CEO of The BAM Connection, the Brooklyn-based agency will handle all creative work, including TV and social media campaign, as well as live experiential events.

In 2017, Yellow Tail and agency Burns Group introduced what was considered an innovative run-around to become the first wine brand to advertise during the Super Bowl in nearly 30 years.

To circumvent Anheuser-Busch’s lock on the alcohol category, the 17-year-old winemaker purchased local ads during the first half of the game, ensuring it would be viewed by some 85% of viewers to the game.

That campaign also kick-started the long-running "Let's Yellow Tail" creative concept that introduced consumers to the brand’s first-ever spokesperson, “Yellow Tail Guy,” and his sidekick “Roo,” an animatronic kangaroo. There is no word on whether BAM will continue to utilize these brand ambassadors. 

“We’ve had great success with our last two Super Bowl commercials, but are looking forward to bringing in a new perspective,” said Iain Douglass, CMO, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. “Maureen and The BAM Connection’s experience are an exact fit for what we’re looking for – a partner that will help us transcend a crowded category and reach new audiences.”

Douglass is familiar with BAM and its leaders, having worked previously with them when Douglass served as vice president global strategy and brand management at VF Corporation before leaving to join Yellow Tail's corporate owner Deutsch in January. 

Agency founders, Maldari and Chief Creative Officer Rob Baiocco, are both highly regarded creative heavyweights with broad experience in the spirits and wine categories in particular, having previously worked on Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Brockmans Gin, Santa Margherita and The Federalist.