The California Wine Institute launches its first-ever brand campaign in the UK in a paid-for partnership Guardian, bringing California’s sunny, laid-back lifestyle to British consumers at the height of winter
The campaign taps into the Guardian as a cultural platform, using content and display across food, drink and travel environments, including ‘Feast’ magazine.
Bountiful Cow led the UK audience strategy, as well as the creative and media approach in conjunction with Guardian Labs. The campaign encourages UK wine lovers to embrace the Golden State mindset when they might desire it most — in the depths of the grey British winter.
The Guardian Labs content series runs through to the end of February, focussing on cultural relevance, lifestyle content and shifting perception of California culture. It is accompanied by audio ads which run across the Guardian’s podcast network.
The overall campaign sees news brands taking a large opening role, with wider retail, podcast and YouTube activity following in later stages.
The media strategy shuns category norms and runs across the winter months, traditionally a low-activity period for wine brands. Instead, it uses the new year as a moment of renewal, when audiences are more likely to explore new tastes, travel ideas and lifestyle inspiration.
