Commentary

Brendel, The 'Good Wine,' Takes Snootiness Out Of Wine Marketing

Well, this ought to get a rise out of all the merlot haters -- and other wine snobs out there. 

Lawrence Wine Estates says it is creating a new category in the wine business with the launch of Brendel, which the company is officially declaring a “good wine” (new category) for the mass market of wine lovers who “don’t ascribe to the elitism around fine wine.” 

This is great. No nonsense about what a fine “nose” this wine has, or whether it has hints of citrus blossom or a beautiful finish. Nope, it’s just “good wine.” 

Butchershop, which bills itself as a growth and transformation agency and has offices in San Francisco, Vienna and Guadalajara, Mexico, is credited with defining the new business opportunity. It created the brand, which is now on shelves, with the sell line “purveyors of pure.” 

“Most people have a casual, comfortable relationship with wine,” said Ben McNutt, chief creative officer at Butchershop. “That’s a big, clear expansion market for Lawrence Wine Estates. Good wine speaks to the heritage ofT Napa, while appealing to the sentiment of the consumers the company and industry depend on most. While fine wine brings some people together, good wine brings everyone together.” 

advertisement

advertisement

I’ll drink some merlot to that. 

The Butchershop and Lawrence teams dove into the obstacles to growing the vineyard’s business using some secret sauce methodology the agency developed. They found they had an opportunity to build their brand with younger wine drinkers who care more about what is in the bottle, what goes into their bodies, and how the wine is produced. 

The agency named the brand for Lawrence Wine Estates founder Leon Brendel, who bought a small plot of land in the 1950s to make wine his way. Then they designed the products and marketing materials, from a website and high-end video to social media and in-store assets.  

“Brendel is casual quality, so we’re striking a balance,” said McNutt. “’Purveyors of pure’ signals Brendel’s devotion to organic wine making and aversion to trophy marketing. Line-drawn illustrations, the centerpiece of our social-media advertising, give the brand a playfulness that breaks sharply from the self-seriousness of fine wines.” 

In creating the website, Butchershop shot a variety of photo and video assets that will be used across social channels.

 

 

 

Next story loading loading..