In another ground-breaking campaign, Barossa continues to eschew traditional images of picturesque vineyards and clinking wine glasses. Instead opting for egg and spoon races and mettwurst judging in a bold regional campaign titled “It’s Just Us”.
It goes beyond dry-toast facts to the legends, quirks and qualities so deeply embedded in Barossan culture locals shrug and say “it’s just us”.
James March, Barossa Australia CEO said “Challenging the status quo is embedded in Barossa Australia’s culture. We have multiple examples of where Barossa has led the way in regional wine marketing, with the 2013 Barossa Be Consumed TVC providing a vital springboard. Our marketing campaigns are strategically driven by research, intentionally evolving, but deliberately retaining a sense of familiarity. The ‘It’s Just Us’ campaign takes these elements to another level.”
Barossa is sharing the hidden talents and stories once told only across the bar throughout the multi-faceted campaign; including a podcast, videos and animations along with the written stories. They’re taking us behind the velvet curtain of stuffy wine culture to reveal the honest, welcoming people, that do everything but take themselves seriously.
The first video launched asks the viewer to draw connections between the dedication to creating the perfect mettwurst and our winemaking prestige, posing the statement of intent, if we take judging our mettwurst this seriously, imagine what we do with wine. A photo and short-form story series celebrates the many forms of mastery that exist within the Barossa wine community, like Prue Henschke. Viticulturist. Award winning spring roll maker and Sarah Lehmann. Winery Owner. Ballerina.
In the eight podcast episodes, stories of Barossa’s quiet commitment to evolution weave through those of night shift winery mishaps and love stories to catering from hotel balconies in Sydney. The entrepreneurial spirit of Barons of Barossa sit alongside tales of a career in music supporting The Angels and Divinyls and everyone has a yabby story!
“Barossa has some amazing attributes, like our 7th generation families, and our quantum of old vines that are still producing fabulous wine. While these elements are important to our story, they don’t relay the real essence of the region. This campaign challenges typical wine marketing campaigns of picturesque vineyards, swirling or clinking glasses, where it isn’t easy to discern one region from the next. People connect with people. So, the campaign is unapologetically people first. Our people, their personal stories and anecdotes are the campaign” said Amanda Longworth, Barossa Australia Head of Brand and Marketing.
Authenticity was a critical element of the campaign, developed in-house after over 18 months of deep investigation into the region’s DNA. The support from the Barossa community for the campaign are testament to its honesty and the way it resonates locally.
Amanda continued “…while we were confident in what we were trying to achieve, it is fabulous to have received such favourable support and engagement from our members and industry stakeholders, who love the campaign. They can clearly see how they can use the framework to tell their story, which will help in the campaign’s amplification.”
The fun and flexible campaign also deliver Barossa business’s actual results to their bottom line, increasing booking drivers. The campaign encompasses an integrated approach, allowing the charm-filled, above-the-line assets to connect directly to tangible opportunities for audiences to connect with the people, lifestyle and products of Barossa.
Members of Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) were treated to a preview of the campaign during a recent Bringing a Regional Wine Brand To Life webinar hosted by Amanda and Barossa Australia Marketing & Communications Manager Emily Hay.
WCA Executive Officer, Andrew Stark said “Barossa has long been the leader in regional wine marketing in Australia. Its new campaign, bringing the region’s personality to life and cleverly fusing their wine offer with images of other produce that the Barossa is famous for, is a bold and innovative way to communicate the true essence of the region. Barossans take their craft seriously, but they are also fun, light-hearted, and love a good story and a laugh. I think the unique execution of this campaign perfectly brings their unique character to life.”
The first episode of the podcast Barossa: It’s Just Us, drops on Monday morning via Acast, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, while the quirky videos and personal stories will enjoy a staggered release via Barossa Wines social channels and websites throughout the year.
