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Wolf Blass Wines - The Flagship Australian Brand & The US Open

The Wolf Blass brand is the flagship Australian brand in the Beringer Blass family. Looking to exemplify its bold flavors, Wolf Blass entered into a two-year partnership with the US Open Series where Wolf Blass and Ruder Finn were tasked with integrating the Australian wine brand into the US Open Series, and the broader general tennis platform. Acknowledging the challenge of linking tennis and wine, RF developed and implemented the Wolf Blass “Boldest Play” campaign, connecting the bold flavors of the wine with the bold moves exhibited by some of the world’s most famous tennis pros.

 

 

OBJECTIVES

• Establish Wolf Blass as the drink of choice for tennis events.
• Create a campaign that resonated with both traditional food and wine media along with the more contemporary sports media.
• Reinforce the Australian heritage of Wolf Blass.

PROGRAM

• Selected Jim Courier, a former #1 ranked tennis champion who had won the Australian Open, to represent the Wolf Blass brand.
• Kicked off the campaign with an announcement of the Wolf Blass “Boldest Play” contest in conjunction with Tennis.com via national satellite media tour and starring world-renowned tennis pro Jim Courier.
• Hosted a mid-program luncheon with national New York media at Country Restaurant, featuring Wolf Blass Winemaker Chris Hatcher and Jim Courier.
• Wrapped up the campaign in Washington DC with a media luncheon at Equinox restaurant, a broadcast session with Jim Courier on the courts and a public tasting event at the tournament.

RESULTS

• As a result of the SMT, more than 20 broadcast segments appeared in top markets across the country and reached more than 1.7 million people.
• Media from 14 different outlets attended the New York luncheon from publications such as Food & Wine, Forbes, Travel + Leisure and Wine Spectator Online.
• Media from 8 different outlets attended the Washington, DC luncheon from publications such as Bloomberg, DC Magazine, Washington Examiner and NPR.
• The consumer event in Washington, DC attracted over 350 guests including several members of the media such as Reuters, Washingtonian and C-Span.