WOW #4- Cupcake's Modern Wine Consumer

Overview

When you think of wine, what images pop in your head? A gray haired man taking a big ol' sniff of a pretentious glass of wine? It's someone talking about the wine's "oaky notes" or how their wine has "legs" right? Wine has historically been a luxurious item, but for "reasonably-priced" wines like Cupcake, this isn't their reality. Their consumers are grabbing an entire bottle for themselves, using their wine to celebrate the smaller victories rather than large accomplishments. So Mekanism developed a series of 15 second spots showcasing the different situations that you can "Choose Fun" with Cupcake:

Target

Mekanism explained that they set out to target the "Modern Wine Consumer", but didn't go into full detail on exactly what that means. They did say their goal was to create a campaign that was entertaining, with clever digs and just a touch of sass, optimistic sarcasm and fun.

From the casting in the spots one can assume they're targeting younger women, who just want to get away from the responsibilities of your 20's: baby showers, having to go to work, and dinner parties. From their prior campaigns we can also tell they're looking at millenial women, like this Coachella vendor spot:

Insight

Laura Wimer, creative director at Mekanism stated that they're looking to reach the new kind of wine drinker, explaining: “The occasion to drink wine has shifted from nice events and weddings to more impulsive celebrations rooted in feeling and joy, so we were inspired to create a campaign around a new set of life moments.”

Brand Idea/Positioning

It's clear that cupcake is now branching out to an "Eliciting Joy positioning bucket. They want to take up the need state for having fun and choosing joy. They want their consumers to think of their wines as: “Approachable, unapologetic, and balanced style that makes each varietal perfect for pairing with real life.” according to Sarah Qualters, senior brand manager for Cupcake Vineyards.

Objective

There were no clear cut value based objectives, other than the desire to reach the "New Wine Drinker" audience.

Strengths

I think these spots do a great job of resonating with a millennial audience. It's a very cute idea to ditch your responsibilities (even ones that are supposed to be fun, like baby showers) to have some cupcake. It's a nice way to branch out of just being "the second cheapest wine" to make drinking cupcake an event.

Weaknesses

According to this site, they have consumers of all ages. I don't feel like these ads really resonate with their older demographics, but was effective for their target.

The spots are not social media friendly, I didn't have my volume on the first time I tried to watch and missed a great deal of the context. They'll need to edit for social.

Sources