Following its successful foray into augmented reality on its 19 Crimes wine labels last year, Treasury Wine Estates has invested in the technology at scale.
Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) was the first wine company to introduce Augmented Reality (AR) to its labels, which it debuted on its 19 Crimes brand last year. The AR experience on 19 Crimes was activated via the Living Wine Labels (LWL) App, which has had over two million downloads globally since last year's launch.
Recognising the value of packaging-driven AR experiences in helping drive consumer engagement at point of purchase, the company says it will continue to expand this technology across its portfolio of leading wine brands, with the latest launch in Australia on Wolf Blass Yellow Label and Matua and using the same app to activate the experiences.
TWE's deputy chief marketing officer Angus Lilley told Food & Drink Business last year's 19 Crimes launch was a “runaway success”.
“The US market, where the brand is well established, led the way, but there was a pleasing uptick in sales in both Australia and the UK, which are both showing a similar growth trajectory to the US, albeit off a lower base, following the AR promotion on 19 Crimes,” Lilley said.
“19 Crimes has gained traction quickly and is currently growing 21x faster than the red wine category*,” he said.
Lilley said that while the focus is on calling out the AR technology and the Living Wine Labels app on the label itself, wherever possible TWE collaborates with retail partners to create in-store awareness around the campaign. The execution included installation of full-size jail cells in selected stores to bring the brand to life.
“The AR feature of the labels and shelf stand out were unique to the brand and created excitement with shoppers, and store team members, alike,” Lilley said.
In the case of 19 Crimes, its most successful promotion in Australia was through Coles' First Choice Liquor, which subsequently led to the campaign recently winning Best Product Launch in FY18 in the Coles Supplier of the Year Awards.
“The 19 Crimes range is the fastest selling new wine product, over $10**, ever launched in First Choice Liquor and the
Treasury Wine Estates team was recognised for their outstanding partnership, execution, innovation and marketing capability,” Lilley said.
“TWE is the first wine company to invest in this type of technology at scale across wine brands,” he said. In the Living Wine Labels app, we have created a tool that is easy to use and appeals to new consumers, tech enthusiasts and wine lovers alike.”
“We definitely see value in leveraging AR to drive consumer engagement, and we are continually looking for new ways to evolve the platform to create experiences that fit each brand story.”
“The new experiences on Wolf Blass and Matua allow us to connect with consumers in a unique way on some of our most popular wines in the portfolio,” Lilley said.
He explained the Wolf Blass Yellow Label AR experience is more of an educational journey. It allows the user to “soar” like the eagle on its famous label, bringing the company's Barossa Valley home to life. The user follows the eagle to explore the Wolf Blass world, where there is the option to click on three different hot spots within the AR experience. The first hot spot relays the history of Wolf Blass and its awards, the second takes them to the inspiring ‘Here’s to the Chase’ message, while the third shows the winemaking philosophy and process.
The Matua AR is more of a fun engagement, highlighting the brand's 'refreshing drink' positioning in a captivating way. The allows the user to experience a New Zealand glacial wonderland and makes refreshment come to life in a ‘chilling’ way. The user simply clicks on the Matua logo, scans the label and choose a varietal to experience the chill factor.
TWE plans to roll out more varietals on 19 Crimes and new brands with AR capability later this year in the Australian market.
* In retail sales value. Source: IRI AZTEC Australia Liquor Unweighted MAT 15/07/18
** USPW Aztec Data we 8/4/18 – 29/4/18
