Deadbolt Secures Bold, Unconventional Branding

Purchase, N.Y. — Pernod Ricard USA tapped into the "irreverent wine" category in the fall of 2012 with the launch of Deadbolt, a California still wine.In an effort to capitalize on the "emerging and profitable" category, the company launched a packaging-focused campaign for the blended red wine, with bottles and packaging that "display an insignia based on tattoo art iconography to push forth a bold, unconventional attitude," says Paulina Larocca, global innovation marketing manager at Pernod Ricard. Deadbolt is "aimed at people who make their own rules and aren't afraid to try new brands and propositions."Landor Associates, San Francisco, served as the main vendor for the launch, helping to develop the concepts, imagery and packaging. "It was about compelling packaging," says Chris Lehmann, executive creative director, general manager, at Landor. "It's going to do all the heavy lifting. It's aimed at a core audience that's looking for irreverent wines, if you will, that tell their story differently. We created the essence of the Deadbolt brand about being a renegade, making your own rules and daring to be different."That mood is conveyed starting with the very name of the wine, Lehmann says. "It has an un-wine-like feel to it. It has a real strength and attitude and almost masculinity to it. The tattoos are a great symbol for that. … We knew that even on shelf, it was going to stand out; the way we rendered the overall package design was going to speak to people."In September 2012, Pernod Ricard distributed the wine in five states to locations such as Albertson's, Jewel-Osco and independent stores as well as on-premise spots. Larocca says Deadbolt achieved distribution in nearly 300 retail accounts in each market during the first 90 days of launch. Two of the company's launch markets, Massachusetts and Colorado, include specialty stores such as Marty's, Table & Vine, Philnor and Mile High, which are not chains. The reach will expand to 15 states by April.Beyond the packaging, the Deadbolt campaign consists of in-store tastings, promotions and displays. POS materials include case cards, shelf talkers, posters, brochures and corkscrews. Marketing Drive, Norwalk, Conn., produced the POS materials.Larocca says that Pernod is also developing an interactive Facebook campaign that will soft-launch in April, with a full rollout in July.Pernod Ricard plans to measure overall success through sales, distribution and customer feedback.

Deadbolt Secures Bold, Unconventional Branding

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

Related Topics

Related Images

Business Topic

Market Segment