Up-and-Coming Wine Brands Raise Profiles via UK Festival Activations

Experience marketing specialists Sense, helped two up-and-coming wine brands raise their profiles through separate festival activations around the UK.

Dark Horse Wine tours the UK proving you should never underestimate the underdog

Up-and-coming Californian wine brand Dark Horse Wine targeted three UK festivals this summer with an experiential campaign designed to showcase its range of bold and flavourful wines, while underlining its slogan that you should ‘never underestimate a Dark Horse’.

Against the odds, the dedicated team at Dark Horse, led by visionary winemaker Beth Liston, have quickly taken the brand from an underdog to being a real category contender, winning awards along the way. Very much a dark horse herself, Beth discovered her interest in the world of wine while growing up on California’s Central Coast. During college, she worked in a local tasting room where she fell in love with the craft. She quickly developed a fascination for the combination of art and science that goes hand in hand with making great wines. Beth pours her passion and creativity into Dark Horse’s bold, exciting wines.

Whether you like crisp and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, or the newly-launched dry rosé, the Dark Horse Wine Bar was the perfect place to soak up the festival atmosphere with friends and enjoy a taste of California.

“We wanted to create a space where festival-goers could relax with a glass of wine and if desired, participate in tasting sessions. The bar was built from steel and reclaimed wood for an industrial edge while additional elements like pallet furniture and wild flowers softened the finish and made it really inviting,” explained Sense Account Manager Ciara Garratt.

The Dark Horse Wine bar was at Standon Calling from 26-29 July, Lost Village from 23-26 August and Festival No. 6 from 6-9 September.

Dark Horse Wine is available at major supermarkets, RRP £8.50.

Apothic Wines invites festival goers to discover their dark side

Reflecting the wine’s unique taste with intense fruit character and rich flavour, Apothic’s gothic-inspired brand activation visited selected festivals over the summer encouraging revellers to experience its distinctive style and taste.

Inspired by ‘Apotheca’ a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in ancient times, the wines of Apothic are truly unique. Festival goers were able to taste Apothic Red, featuring dark red fruit flavours with hints of vanilla, and Apothic Dark, featuring blueberry and blackberry flavours with notes of coffee and dark chocolate.

Run by global brand experience agency Sense, the Apothic Wine bar had an apothecary feel featuring kooky trinkets that spilt out of the beautifully designed black back bar, a seating area & a close-up magician to help immerse visitors into the mysterious world of Apothic wines.

“The purpose of this real-world experience was to drive awareness and trial of Apothic’s two variants, Dark & Red, which they loved and went to stores to buy,” explained Ciara Garratt, Account Manager at Sense.

The Apothic Wine bar visited Foodies Festival from 13-15 July and Festival No 6 from 6-9 September.

Apothic wines are available at major supermarkets, RRP £9.

Source: Sense

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