Wolf Blass makes UK TV advertising debut

by Samuel Solley, Marketing 08-Dec-04

Wolf Blass, the Australian wine brand, is to embark on its biggest UK consumer campaign to date, to benefit from the growing popularity of New World wines.

The Beringer Blass-owned brand will run its first TV advertising from May next year, supporting the launch of two ranges: the premium Yellow Label and the everyday Red Label.

The ads will be based on existing international creative, adapted for the UK by Velocity Advertising.

A poster campaign and cricket sponsorship deal aim to boost brand recognition.

Wolf Blass has signed a four-year deal to become the official wine of Test Matches, including branding at seven Test Matches and 10 one-day internationals, and is launching limited-edition wines for the lucrative Ashes series.

The brand has a long-standing association with cricket, having been the official wine of Cricket Australia for more than four years.

A 'Colours of Australia' supermarket campaign will include sampling, promotions and neck-tag competitions.

Wolf Blass is the number six Australian wine in the UK, according to OLN magazine's 'Wine Report 2004'.

The New World accounted for more than 40% of UK imports in 2001, according to Mintel. In Marketing's Biggest Brands survey (Marketing, 28 August), nine of the top 10 wines came from the New World.